Doctor Who and the Diclonius
by Izzy Raimi
Summary: A Six Part Adventure with the 4th Doctor. Doctor Who finds Lucy in 2007 Kamakura, only to witness her murdering four other people. With an offer to Lucy to become a companion, the two's friendship is put to the ultimate test through psychological terror, horror, and non-stop action.
1. Part One

**DOCTOR WHO AND THE DICLONIUS**

A six part adventure by Isaac "Izzy" Raimi and Mary Vitals

**HISTORIAN'S NOTE:**The following story takes place one year after the Elfen Lied anime, and directly after the Doctor Who story, "the Invasion of Time".

* * *

_"__He who fights monsters, should see to it that he or she does not become a monster as well._

_For when you gaze long into the Abyss..._

_The Abyss also gazes into you."_

_-Friedrich Nietzsche_

* * *

**PART ONE**

_"Recent reports have been recording a line of grisly murderers across the Kanagawa Prefecture, mainly in the towns of Kamakura and Fujisawa. Authorities have yet to pin a single suspect or specific group associated with these deaths; citizens are asks to be indoors by nightfall and lock their doors for the sake of their own safety."_

"Man, people get crazier every day, this sure is the end of the world it seems."

"We can't even walk the streets without fear of losing our own lives!"

The chatter and mutterings of pedestrians could be listened in on, constant and monotonous. They all spoke of the same thing: the recent crimes. The trail of blood being left by a psychopath out for satisfaction.

A small television attached to the wall played the news report for people riding the train to watch. It was late afternoon, and plenty of businessmen and children were on their way home from work and school.

Little did they know, that they were all sharing company with the one who had commit these brutal crimes.

Sitting by herself near one of the exits, Lucy kept a leg kicked over the other, staring at the ticket in her hands.

_Satoyama._

Eyes narrowed, biting her tongue and not reacting to the chattering around her, focusing on herself. No matter, it was difficult nonetheless. _Oh how satisfying it would be to watch their limbs twist and tear, without a single lift of her hand._

_"Stupid humans…_"

The ride lasted for another forty minutes,before she finally boarded off, weaving through the plethora of children and adults.

* * *

A tall, curly haired man in a red-velvet frock coat, long striped scarf and floppy hat was engaged in a heated match. His opponent was one move away from winning another possible checkmate. If he were to place his queen just right, he could at least have the advantage…

It had only been a few weeks since he had left Gallifrey, but things were going along quite nicely. The TARDIS was in mid-flight, and he had installed an experimental randomizer on the console, leaving his next destination to the roll of the dice. For this man was no mere traveler. He was the mysterious traveler in time and space known only as the Doctor.

And he had moved his piece toward the other end of the board, with a grin on his face. He was laying on the floor of the TARDIS console room as he looked at his opponent across from him. His opponent happened to be robotic dog. The dog had a box-like design, red optics, a miniature satellite dish that sat inbetween the optics, swiveling satellite ears, and the words "K-9" embedded on its side.

"Queen to Knight 4, Master." The dog said.

With a raised eyebrow, the Doctor grabbed his opponent's piece and moved it to its desired location. "Checkmate." The dog said simply.

The Time Lord's eyes widened. "…What?" He said, looking at the board. "What do you mean checkmate?"

"Your king was left wide open. Machine computes checkmate in six moves, Master."

He shook his head in surprise. "Incredible…" He said to himself. "How come I can never beat you at this game, K-9?"

"You can answer that better than I, Master." K-9 responded. "You did program me to be efficient."

He smiled at his mechanical companion. "And one with good spirits." He said, petting K-9's head. "You're a good dog, K-9."

"Affirmative." K-9 said, nodding and wagging his wire tail.

With that, the console made a sound, signifying its landing. Getting up from the floor, the man checked the dimensional scanner to check his location.

"Well, now. It seems the TARDIS landed in Japan…" He said to himself. "Kanagawa Prefecture, Kamakura, Japan. Satoyama region." He grinned to himself. He landed in the country side! "26th of March, 2007. Not too distant into the future, then."

Just from the scanner's readings, it seemed to be a good time for a holiday, if anything. With a flip of the switch, the TARDIS doors opened.

"I'll be back in a while, K-9." He said.

"Affirmative."

The Doctor then walked out of the TARDIS, closing the doors behind him. He was greeted with a peaceful view of the countryside. There were rolling green hills, long roads, and very little hustle and bustle. Just the place to go to for a bit of peace and quiet.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he leaned against the TARDIS's wooden paneling, enjoying the view and feeling the cool country breeze that swept across the land.

* * *

There was an ancient fable that was told to Japanese children, of horrible creatures known as the Oni; ghastly monsters who walked on two feet, with mangled hair, horns, and fangs. They preyed on whatever came across them, eating them up with their beast like maw, and spitting out the bones. Sometimes, they even devoured them whole.

These creatures caused disease, disaster, and woe among the Japanese, and were cursed for their destructive behavior.

Some of the more isolated villages in the Japanese countryside still lived wary of these beasts, performing spiritual rituals every year to quell their turmoil, and prevent any sort of misfortune on their people.

One specific phrase,_oya ni ninu ko wa oni no ko_, literally means "a child that does not resemble it's parents is the child of an oni."

And thus was the beginning of Lucy's image on the world.

Born with those wicked horns and pale complexion, a sickly child. Some folklore told that if an offspring was constantly sick, that it was actually a changling, the true child being spirited away by mischievous spirits, leaving their less than desired spawn.

Satoyama.

A phrase that applied to the countryside and foothills between two cities. There was a beautiful, wide expanse of land between Kamakura and the larger metropolises in the region. Lucy often found refuge in places that lacked a lot of human population.

Unbeknownst to her, however, was that she would wind up in a less-than-pleasant predicament.

Kiyokawa was the dictionary definition of a Satoyama village. Nestled in the mountains with a relitively small population, there was little to no uprising and upset in this area. Rarely they heard of true crime or sadness. It was the positive part of living away from the city.

Stepping out of the train, Lucy glanced around, noticing that the sun was already hanging low in the sky; no problem. She could navigate just fine without sunlight.

As she walked, there was no purpose, or objective in her mind.

Just walk.

Just wander.

_It's getting rather boring… Don't you want to have a little fun, Lucy? I'm sure you could come across one or two humans who could do without a limb…_

A hand slipped up, brushing locks of pink from her eyes, muttering aloud, "Not yet…"

Overall, the streets were bare, aside from a few families wandering here and there into shops and towards food stalls. Nothing out of the ordinary; the only difference between here and Kamakura would be the lack of oceanic view.

"No! Stop that! That's not fair!"

A shrill voice? That of a younger boy.

Cranking her head every so slightly, the Diclonius took notice of a youth, who could only be eight or nine years old, being rough housed by a group of older children.

"Oh boo hoo! You lost fair and square! Now hand over your money and we'll leave you be," the tallest one taunted, holding the lithe child in a tight grip.

Lucy's eyes narrowed, shaking her head slight as she passed by.

"H-hey! Miss! MISS! Can you help me?!"

A desperate shout.

"…"

Words did not slip from her lips, rather, she only stared. An uneasy stare, at that.

_Why not…_

Of course, the boy would not know that this being would assist him. No no, she would not make it apparent that she was here! There was more than one way to skin a cat… Either violently, or with discrete technique.

Lucy wandered forward, listening to the chiding of the older boys, no sign of stopping in her tracks; three vectors at the ready, slipping to their heads—

And then, three distinct thumps on the ground, without an outward sign of hostility.

They simply had fallen, not stirring any longer; a single movement of a vein in their brains, and they had died.

* * *

A strange chill ran down the Doctor's spine as the sun began to set. This was the country! How could he be feeling something of dread? His Time Lord intuition would always seem to find something that was hidden underneath a peaceful blanket.

"…Something wicked this way comes…" He said to himself, quietly. He could feel the presence of some kind of malevolent force, like an everlasting blanket of darkness that swept though wherever it roamed. As if it blotted the very sun out from the sky, and silenced whomever may come across it.

Something wasn't right…

With peaked curiosity, he kicked himself off of the TARDIS's wall panel and made for the dirt path off to the side. He looked to his sides, and something had caught his eye.

A boy was running, with a look of terror on his face. It seemed like he had seen a ghost, as he ran what seemed to be a little faster than mere jogging. As the boy passed, he looked to where he ran from.

His eyes widened.

There were three bodies on the ground, slumped over as if they were sleeping. But something told the man otherwise…

Sprinting towards the bodies, he stopped short and examined them. He checked each of their pulses.

Nothing. All three were dead.

He then saw that they were young. They seemed to be about 13 to 14 years old each. They weren't ready to leave this world just yet…

Bowing his head, he mourned the dead children for but a minute. Opening his eyes, he examined the bodies once again. There was no sign of any trauma or wounds. Unless they had a heart attack or brain hemorrhage they couldn't have kicked the bucket like that. Could they have been poisoned…?

He then looked ahead. Walking away from the bodies was what looked like a young girl. She had pink hair, wore a pink shirt with what looked like a gray dress, and black leggings with loafers. On her head appeared to be what looked like a black cap.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of dread from the girl that walked away from the bodies. This wasn't a kind of aura that a human would have.

No. This was far more sinister…

"_Os iustiii… Meeddiitabiturr… Sapientiam…_"

Wherever the Diclonius went, she either hummed, or mentally thought of this song. Lyrics had been pieced together of time, but it all originated from a simple music box, heard by accident on a chance encounter many years ago.

The notes rose and fell, a sorrowful undertone to the sound as it came from her lips; and yet they sounded monotone, if anybody could hear. She kept quiet, uneasily quiet.

"They just fell over! Like nothing happened! And they were dead!"

That same boy who had been harassed and bullied was shouting to his parents, only half a block away. It seemed that he was out playing in the street with other children before those older boys came down upon and caused trouble.

"Sato that's impossible! People don't just have heart attacks at the same time." his mother commented. Despite that, she was concerned. A sigh passed through, and she continued, "Why don't you come inside for the rest of the night, dear…"

Now, Lucy halted in her steps, able to listen to the conversation between mother and son.

**Such an ungrateful little boy.**

Carrying on, the Diclonius continued her walk down the path, lined with trees and cozy houses. If she continued, she'd eventually wind up back in the market area— but what she WISHED to stumble on, would be an isolated place to relax.

… More than likely, chaos would continue to be stirred up before that was accomplished.

"— Hey miss."

…?

Lucy turned again, being addressed by a man in some sort of uniform. Was he patrolling his area? Or was he just here by chance?

Whatever the reason, she did not speak up; only her flat gaze was given as a response.

"There's a curfew around here, you need to get inside or to the station for safe housing. Haven't you heard the news? There's a lot of violence going on in the prefecture."

_Oh hhehehe, you're alone… You can have fun now. Go ahead. go on! He could cause trouble for you if you don't act now, Lucy. GO!_

And just as abrupt as the last action was, her vector proved to be the superior pawn in this game; a single swift movement, and the man was cut down, falling in two pieces, separated by the hips and torso.

The woman's head was down, walking past without a single word, or emotional reaction.

The man's jaw dropped. It happened as if it were in a flash. The man who was talking to the girl somehow… just got _sliced_ into two!

Nothing even touched him! How could something like this happen?

Wait a moment… could she have killed the three boys?

"NO!" He shouted, as the man was cut down. As the girl continued to trudge, he sprinted full speed to the bisected corpse.

With a mortified look, he dropped to his knees. He had a clean cut across the hips and torso, the dirt path being stained by the corpse's blood and viscera. His eyes were still opened, as if he was caught by surprise and his look was frozen in time.

This man probably had a family…

With anguish, he looked to the girl. It _must_ have been her. No human, no _species_ he knew of could have bloodlust like that, and kill without laying a finger on them. The Daleks could, yes, but they were in greater numbers all the time.

This was one, though. And if there was one, could there be more…?

He slowly rose, and gazed at the girl who continued to walk.

"…Why?" He asked the girl. "Why did you kill them? They've done nothing to you, and they didn't deserve a fate like that. How could you take their lives away from them in one swift stroke?"

"…"

Once again, her steps were halted, only by the frantic voice of the onlooker. _Wonderful, will she have to dispose of this one as well?_ It was not as if this were the first time those words have been heard as a result of her maiming. It was all they wished to know.

Not whether or not there were some sort of background between herself and the victim.

Nor if they deserved it.

It was always, and always would be, **why**.

Humans were notorious for being two-faced when dealing with a threat. In a time of peace, the population could care less for each other. Nobody wanted to handle the cross and burdens of another, they simply wanted to take easy street, and mind their own business.

— And yet as soon as the welfare of another was put into danger, and another believed they they TOO could be heard, all of the sudden human life was held as a precious thing.

**How disgusting**. _How fake_.

At this point, the Diclonius Instinct had taken a stronghold on Lucy's mind, allowing her to tout a rather nasty attitude.

Slowly, her form turned, dahlia eyes lidded, and staring forward.

"_… Had they still been alive, you would not care whether or not they'd die tomorrow_," the beast spoke, venom dripping from her mouth as she did so, "_you would not know. So why do you even care…_"

So much concentrated hatred.

And yet, all the while, a sense of true apathy. An uncaring attitude as to who mourned, and who would come to hate her for those crimes.

He could see the daggers that lay withing the girl's gaze. The very venom of her voice polluting the air between the Time Lord and the the girl. She had no empathy, no sympathy, nothing. It was as if she had no emotion to speak of.

But she made one mistake. She _assumed_.

His eyes matching her gaze, his brow became furrowed. His own eyes formed daggers as the two glared at each other.

"Don't you dare…" He said in a low, baritone voice. "Don't you even _dare_ to assume that I wouldn't care about the loss of life." He then advanced forward, slowly making his way to the girl. "Especially when I see it far so often."

He kept his ground, and stood tall across from the killer. "How could you even think that? To think that I would not even care about what happens to someone whether they lived or died the next day? I've had far too many brushes with death to know that life itself is precious, and should be cherished by all living beings."

He then pointed to the four corpses behind him. "These people had families. Those children may have been just being their age. Yet you took a prospective life away from them. They'll never grow up, never fall in love, never feel happiness again!"

His voice began to grow louder. "I've watched entire civilizations burn, and many friends of mine have died. I watched the creation of a murderous race wipe out _their own_ race so theirs could wreak havoc across the cosmos! I care _so much _for all living beings, because I feel that _anyone _deserves a chance to live. Yet you… YOU have the outright _audacity_ to tell _me,__someone_ who has seen and witnessed far darker things beyond your imagination… THAT I DON'T EVEN CARE!?"

The Doctor's eyes were widened in fury. "You know nothing about me! How dare you?" He then shouted at the top of his lungs. "HOW DARE YOU CONSIDER ME HEARTLESS!? Don't _ever_ call me that!"

All of the shouting, the abrupt explosion of emotion due to a chemical reaction of anger and disbelief was taken in stride. All of this? The entire view towards her words and actions? It had happened before. Lucy was barely phased— especially when this mad man began to tout and preach about watching civilizations perish, the universe, the cosmos, and all that was life.

She had bumped heads with the outright insane before, but this, all of THIS, it just took the cake. There she stood, apathetic and without so much BLINKING as she was scolded. And as all of it was wrapped up? A brow was arched up, her voice assaulting the now bitter nighttime air.

"Have you finished shouting yet…? Tch…" Lucy turned, not caring whether or not he expected some sort of answer. Truth be told, the Diclonius just flat out held no care for this man's qualms. There had only been one scenario where she felt true sorrow and regret for her actions, and that had been many, many years ago, when the woman thought that it was possible for humans to forgive.

—Of course, all of that came to a head, and at the end of the day, one does not forgive somebody for murder.

With spectral, macabre movement, it was almost unsettling to the stomach how unnatural Lucy's reactions and emotions were at that moment. Who else could take the lives of three children and a nameless man, and not even lift a finger? Any sane individual would bear that burden for the rest of their lives.

And Lucy?

Well, that was definitely NOT the first time that she had killed for nearly no reason.

"Yelling will not bring those vile things back to life," the Diclonius spoke bitterly.

"I suggest you leave me be…_ Unless you want to join them_."

With that, Lucy continued her meandering on the path, only expecting to followed once more.

The Doctor's eyes widened by his own emotion. He had never lost control like that before. Not even to the Daleks own creator, Davros. Not even to all of the Cyber-Leaders who lead the Cybermen against their conquests of assimilation. Not even to the Time Lords themselves for their constant meddling in his own business.

As she finished her threat and began to walk away, the Doctor kept to her trail, not leaving her to kill again. He would not let this beautiful countryside become a murderous playground of destruction and bloodshed.

"You think that I don't know that?" He asked the girl as they walked. "I could shout to the high heavens all I want, and they'll never come back. I've known that pain all too well..."

He continued to walk closer to her, gradually closing the distance between the two. The Time Lord sighed. "Forgive me for that outburst, earlier. I've just not seen someone so bitter before. I hadn't seen anyone hold that much contempt for a human life since…" He almost mentioned the Daleks, but he would save that story for another time. "…I've just not seen something like that on Earth for some time."

The Doctor's voice took a sombre tone. "It saddens me that you truly think of such things. That you would just kill without provocation." He pushed his hat back. "Why do you do it? Why do you kill? Do you enjoy it? Is it something that gives you peace of mind every time you take a life?"

He shook his head. "I've known many threats that think the same as you do. Unfortunately, they can't change how they operate. You, on the other hand…"

The Doctor tilted his head. "You're different. If I may say, you don't seem… human. What exactly are you?"

How predictable. Now that Lucy had put on her display and allowed this man to know that she would be not phased, he now decides to 'behave' and act civil. Funny how human mentality worked. If one upping them in emotional stability was not viable, then harboring a submissive and open-minded attitude usually, if not always, was put up.

Perhaps he was speaking in order to prevent himself from another outburst? Maybe, in that mind of his, the man thought that if he continued to speak, that this murderous renegade would eventually pick out something that she deemed interesting enough to speak about.

—And, then again, there was the subject of continuing to try and figure out just **WHAT** her motive was.

There were plenty, oh, PLENTY of things that Lucy could use to answer that question.

_Nobody knows when death comes along. It's natural. Why should I be demonized for being the one to deal it?_

_It is my purpose. It is in my genetics. It is in my code. My entire purpose in life is to bring an end to humanity._

_They all deserved it. In the end, those children and that man were all evil._

Yet, despite all of those answers?

"… Because—"

Lucy did not turn her head as she answered, "—it is simply what I do. And before you ask why, **trust me.**" Those last two syllables were harsh, "_I've tried to work alongside their filth_. They're not a very welcoming bunch."

What sort of person could possibly hold enough loathing that it would force them to forsaken an entire race?

The Doctor only stuffed his hands in his pockets as he made his way to the girl's side. Looking downward, he dared not to make eye contact with her. She was calming down. Well, as calm as a murderer would be.

"Humans tend to fear what they don't understand, more often than not." He said. "When it comes to people who are glaringly different from them, they usually try to exclude those that don't fit with them."

He then looked back up to the stars. "Granted, there are the select few that welcome those that are different. People that don't care what you are, or who you are, they still accept you. Although…" He then gazed back down. "Sometimes it pains even _me_ that most human society hasn't changed in that regard."

The Doctor then looked at the girl. "There's no reason to kill, though." He said. "Most humans are innocent, and they can't help with how they act. When you get past that, they are a fantastic race."

He then put a hand on her shoulder. "You're certainly different." He said. "I knew at once. You're not human, and I'm not saying that because you're a killer. I can see that you are indeed something else. Something of a different species."

He then gave her shoulder a pat. "I know you don't really trust me, now. But I'm different, too. I know what it's like to be different amongst humans. But there's no reason to kill. If it means anything…" He then paused before smiling. "I can actually help you."

"_You speak as if you are not one of them yourself, yet you have the striking and obvious appearance of one… Never before in my life have I witnessed somebody mourning the lost life of a human when they were not one_," Lucy retorted, the emotion in her voice not changing at all; it only continued holding little to no interest in the conversation— or, at least, that is how one would judge it from the outside looking in. The renegade had never been one to be emotionally extroverted, even as a child when one is supposedly free of worldly burdens. It had always been a cookie-cutter response, in order to avoid any sort of attachments and investments into things that did not guarantee to always be around.

Or perhaps, it was due to Lucy not wanting to show any sort of weakness. When you are the member of a race that is hated by humanity, and viewed as a hazard to all of the living, it takes a lot of spine to be able to stand proud, and not care about what the 'primates' have to say.

Thus was the life of a woman who greeted hatred and malice as if it were an old friend.

"_… You are correct when you say that I am not human. How simple it is to harbor one or two minute differences, and they will immediately consider you something that does not belong._"

The initial difference was in the mutation's appearance. As an infant, the Diclonius was born with tiny horns growing from her skull, not too noticeable from a distance. Doctors would probably be able to remove them, or believe that hair could grow over the bony structures over time. That happened _not_ to be the case. Over the years, they would grow until they were definitive on her head, leading to much taunting of her fellow company. Before it led to that point, she was abandoned at a young age, brought in by the Kamakura Orphanage.

Lucy never did learn of the whereabouts of her mother— but her father— that was all dealt with by herself.

"_My entire purpose is to bring an end to human life,_" Lucy mutters, her gaze looking onward, focusing on nothing.

When it comes to the Diclonius, she was a rather calm and harmonious individual at a young age, but all of that gradually changed the more she was damned by humans. The world pushed her—-

and Lucy pushed back.

—_And society was twisted enough to cry out '_**Monster**_'!_

The Doctor then stepped in front of Lucy to stop her from her aimless wandering. He looked at her up and down, and put his hands on her shoulders. Her gaze was fixated downward, for if the demon looked at you, death would befall you within an instant.

That was a risk the Doctor was willing to take.

"My dear, look at me." He said. "I've known many races who say that their sole purpose is to bring about the end of all life. Not just human. I've tried to get them to see that killing is never the answer, and unfortunately, they don't listen, and they became my enemies." He then saw her vacant expression. It seemed like she taught herself to hold back all emotion throughout her life, and become the very monster society made her out to be.

"You, however…" He said. "You still have a chance. You've only seen the dark side of humanity. A side that should never be seen by someone of a young age like you. There's no reason to have a purpose like that, when there's so much you've yet to discover."

He then flashed a toothy grin to her. "You're right. I'm actually _not_ human, either. In fact, I'm not even from this planet to begin with." He then gazed upward to the sky, as the sun began to set, and the stars began to make themselves known.

"Take a look at the sky."

He smiled as the both of them looked upward. "There are many races and many planets out there. Some that are peaceful, some that are xenophobic, and some that have the same destructive mindset as you do. Every second or so, entire planets are burning and warring against each other. We're just a mere speck on the radar, you and I. But when you see everything I see, you'll start to believe…" He then looked down at the girl. "That all life is precious and should be treasured. Not snuffed out of existence because one race wronged you."

The Time Lord looked into the killer's eyes, expression still vacant, but fixated on him. "And I can help you see that. For you see, I'm the Doctor. And a man of that name should help those that are in need of assistance."

He flashed a toothy grin to the girl. "Do you have a name, per chance?"

When was the last time that somebody had a serious conversation with the renegade Diclonius? It almost never happened. The very first time that she could consider an exchange of words as something ASIDE from taunting, was the day that she was brought into the Kakuzawa Facility. Chief Kurama had managed to lull the girl into his clutches, by promising the safe recovery of a human that she had been protecting for a while.

But when that promise was not fulfilled? The woman's rage became more eminent, even stronger.

The second, would be between herself, and Kouta, the boy who looked past Lucy's horns and vectors, and saw the young, lonely girl within on that warm summer day, all those years ago. This encounter was held a decade later, on the winding steps of Kamakura Cemetery. Kouta had listened to Lucy's plea for forgiveness, and accepted it for the time being— only to let her go.

Any other time, Lucy was spoken down to like an animal, and a common criminal. The workers within the facility gave her simple commands and exchanges of words whenever she was tested on, or her containment chamber changed. It was almost as if a simple difference in appearance categorized the Diclonius as unable to communicate with human kind.

So of course, when this man who called himself 'the Doctor' began a civil, normal dialogue— despite the fact that just MOMENTS ago, she had slain four innocent lives— it was a culture shock. Though it did not show in Lucy's eyes, her mind was caught off guard. It was a fatherly sort of voice, one that she had never dealt with in her life.

Lifting her chin lightly, the dahlia hues glanced at the stars, just as she was asked to do. It had been a while since a moment was taken to just admire her surroundings. The world really was a colorful and strange place— but it was covered with far too much prejudice and horror for Lucy to ever see past the bad. Because of the way she was brought up, the mutation believed the world was simple rotten.

Believe…

"_I had a name once, but it's long forgotten… I've gone by the name that _**they**_ gave me. Lucy_."

A play on two concepts; primarily, the skeletal missing link between humanity and their past evolutionary line. But it was also a reference to the demon king himself, Lucifer. The scientists there found it to be fitting, and somewhat comedic. Give the horned girl a PROPER name, one that is becoming of her appearance.

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin towards the girl who called herself Lucy. "Such a lovely name." He said, before tipping his hat. "How do you do, Lucy?"

He then looked behind Lucy and saw the four corpses that lay on the ground. There was someone walking along the path, too. No doubt he would notice the pile of bodies within a few moments.

The Doctor's grin faded and gazed to Lucy's eyes. "Listen to me very carefully, Lucy." He said. "We've got to get you out of here. There's already incriminating evidence against you, and I'm not ready to see you jailed yet. Not when you have an opportunity to change." He then put an arm around her, leading her to walk with him. "Come on. I'll take you to where I live. It's not safe here."

He then lead the both of them off of the path, hoping they would reach the TARDIS without much of a confrontation.

And in under a split second, the mood shifted from lax, to fight-and-flight mode once again. Fortune for Lucy, she had been in this situation plenty of times beforehand. Running from the law for nearly five years before she was detained, the Diclonius was an expert at getting away.

It did not take long before shouts could be heard far behind them.

"WAIT! SIR! Bring that woman back, we need to speak with her right now!"

**Damn**.

"_Here we go_," she muttered under her breath, "there will be too many of them to just beat them on foot." Lucy reached, grabbing onto the man's jacket.

It was no surprise that the Diclonius was quick on her feet, dragging the Doctor with great speed before allowing two vectors to appear, slamming the ground and shooting them up into a tree. By then, they had allowed enough distance so that any suspicious people would not be able to see them.

"_Don't say a word_."

He was just about to ask how she did that but was cut off by her stern command. With a curt nod, the Doctor stilled his tongue, and kept a lookout for anyone that may come their way.

It seemed that it wasn't just one person that was out and about tonight. There must be about three or four people right now, and with the bodies on the path, there would no doubt be more on the way.

He noticed that Lucy was also watching the area like a hawk. Surveying their surroundings in case anyone would come their way. This was going to be a nightmare. They're out in the open, and there would no doubt be emergency responders on the way for the corpses.

They both needed to act, but the Doctor would prefer that they did so without any more casualties. If the girl was able to slice someone in half in one clean stroke, there's no telling what she'd do if there were twenty people.

It was clear. The body count _needed_ to be low, if at all, non-existent.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a two way radio for K-9.

"K-9, listen to me." He whispered. "A friend and I are currently trapped and have no place to go. I'm going to activate a beacon. If you can, can you tell the TARDIS to materialize to my location as soon as it locks on to my signal?"

"Affirmative, Master." Came a quick reply to the radio.

"Good." He said. "Wait for my signal, K-9."

He then closed the channel and stuffed it in his pocket. Keeping a close eye on the group of people, he put a hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"There's too many people." He said. "I'll get you out of here, but you have to promise me not to kill anybody. I would prefer that we shifted away like ghosts without a paper trail. Can you do that for me, Lucy?"

"It seems we have lost our target," one man speaks, beginning to turn on flashlights now that the sun had sighed and fallen beneath the canopy. There were now six officers present; one in particular appeared to be some sort of higher rank.

"Stay persistent… if this murderer is what we think it is, then we will need all of the back up we can get. These homicides appear similar to the ones that occurred in Kamakura," he spoke lowely, his stride proud and prepared to face whatever could possibly jump out at them.

Lucy's eyes narrowed, watching their every step. Oh how her Instinct was ACHING and SCREAMING in the back of her mind. It wanted it. It wanted blood. It wanted despair and pain. But no, no no no, not now! That would bring unneeded attention. Instead, she sunk where she perched, eyes never leaving those men.

"You mean the beheadings and delimbings that happened over the summer?! There's a rumor going around that there were these freaky girls with horns stickin' outta their heads causing these murders," another commented, looking to the higher ranked officer.

"Let's not jump to conclusions… We better pray that it is NOT that case."

Eventually, the group would meander out of eyesight, and it was safe to speak up once again. But before Lucy could get a word out, the scarved man took the liberty of informing the Diclonius on what to do.

"Yes, of course… They shouldn't see us by now, and so I have no reason of disposing them," the horned one responded with a solemn nod.

"Good." Said the Doctor. He noticed that the group was gone. They needed to escape while the timing was still good. "I think it's time, Lucy. You're just about to see how different I am." He then pulled out what looked like a remote control with a single button. With a press on the button, it started to flash a small red light.

After ten or so seconds, a wheezing, groaning sound echoed across the landscape. And within an instant, the Doctor could hear the familiar sound of the TARDIS's engines as the blue Police Box began to materialize just below them. With its characteristic "thud", the TARDIS fully materialized, and the light on top stopped blinking.

He flashed a toothy grin to the Police Box. "Perfect landing. The Old Girl does make me proud sometimes."

The Doctor then jumped down, landing in front of the TARDIS door. He noticed that Lucy followed suit, and landed in a crouched position, cushioning her own fall.

"Well, Lucy. This is my home." He said, patting the blue wooden paneling. "This is my ship. The TARDIS."

—Lucy's mentality had made a radical turn from quiet and serious, RIGHT into flummoxed and taken by surprise. What in the world was this man doing?! Had he just conjured some sort of— transportation device with a single button? She had heard that technology was seeing some fascinating and huge improvements in this day and age, but NEVER had Lucy seen something of THAT nature before.

Eyes widened, brows furrowed in confusion, her head tilting every so carefully to the side. It appeared to be a police box, like she had seen in history and world geography books as a child. What could this man known as the 'Doctor' possibly do with one of this?

For starters, he called it the TARDIS, not a police box. Perhaps the Diclonius had misread that bit of information as a child.

"… You live… In a _box_?"

As naive as that statement sounded, Lucy was very surprised by all of this. Well, she may be damned. This man had a HUGE possibility of truly being something not of this world.

Her vectors assisted in a neat landing, a pair of hand prints left behind afterwards.

"Well, not necessarily a box." He said. "Of course, the Old Girl tends to favor this design a lot. I think it's very becoming of her." The Doctor turned to face Lucy who was looking at the box in wonder.

"But it's so much more than that, my dear." The Time Lord then reached around his neck for the key he wore around his neck. He then slid the key into the lock, and unlocked the door. Pushing the door open, he held it for Lucy to enter first.

"After you." He said with a toothy grin.

A solemn nod, and Lucy followed the man's wishes, stepping lightly and carefully, as if at any moment the ground beneath her would fall through. Partially due to the fact that was this point in time, she was debating whether or not this entire encounter was a dream. It sure did follow the standards of a few that she had in the past; falling through the floor would only add on to the speculation.

—Rather, INSTEAD, upon entering this alien craft, eyes landed on something much more intricate and splendid on the inside, something that should NOT be possible.

For one, it was MUCH bigger and wider than it appeared from the initial outside look. Could it even be possible to hold this much space in something build to hold a simple communication device in reality?! How had he done it?! Bright colors shined, the sound of equipment humming here and there— and all of it existed within the four walls of a wooden police box.

"_How in the world_…?!"

The Doctor formed a wide toothy grin across his lips as Lucy became enamored by the TARDIS interior. It was safe to say that she expected nothing less except the four inner corners of a Police Box, but she found something so much more than that.

Instead, what Lucy walked into was a white room, with roundels on the walls. In one corner was a hatstand, and on one wall was a covered viewscreen, a door sitting next to that.

In the center of the room was the console, showing different buttons, levers, switches, and smaller monitors. Sitting in the center of the console was a column. The Time Rotor that sat patiently until the Doctor input the coordinates for the next trip.

Closing the doors behind him, he walked next to the pink haired girl. "Not quite what you expected, eh, Lucy?" He asked.

When she was younger, Lucy had read up on books pertaining to all sorts of subjects. One genre that she had found interesting was science fiction, and the concepts of the future. Had she been any younger, the Diclonius would have guessed that she stumbled into a fever dream concerning one of the books that were read earlier.

Though, it was doubtful that a dream would be this lucid.

"I can't say that I expected the laws of physics to be denied when stepping in," Lucy commented, glancing here and there to look at everything that the wide expanse of room had to offer. She walked along, carefully touching things with the very tips of her fingers, just to make sure that nothing was knocked over, or possibly broken.

"—But how is any of this possible?!"

The Doctor laughed as he watched Lucy look over the console room in child-like wonder. "I can assure you, the laws of physics are not broken Lucy. In fact, this is merely involved with relative dimensions." He went over to the console, monitoring the TARDIS while watching Lucy ran her hands over the console.

"You see, TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space. The insides and outsides are not in the same dimension, and what you see outside is merely a disguise. It's own dynamic camouflage, if you will."

The Doctor pressed a few buttons to stabilize a few systems. "What we're in right now is a separate dimension, that fits inside a small object. A transcendental dimension." The Time Lord explained. "The room we're in is the console room. This is where I pilot the TARDIS."

Essentially, this should not be possible, at least, from what was taught in public school. How any of this was accomplished was clearly due to the fact that this man going by the name of the 'Doctor' was an alien, not of this planet. Wherever he was from, their way of life must be FAR more advanced than here on earth. it was flummoxing none the less; the only technology that Lucy was educated in were the machines and controls that were put into Kakuzawa Facility. And that was only because of listening in while being experimented on.

"—But what is the purpose of all of this?"

Turning her head, the Diclonius blinked, her expression just a little more 'lively' than usual.

"Do you just… Wander existence, here alone? And for what reason were you here in this country? Was all of it planned? Or was it just… Chance?"

The Doctor could very well tell the stark difference in attitude that Lucy had from just moments ago. To think, she was murderous, callous, and very well dripping with hatred for humanity from what the Doctor could see. Now, she was anything but. Feelings of strong curiosity and wonder taking its hold on the girl as she turned to face the Time Lord, blinking in confusion.

"The purpose, Lucy?" He asked. "Simple. To explore. Well, I like exploring, anyway. I can't really say for the other people of my race. They're far too stiff. I usually prefer to go on long holidays to different planets and time periods."

He then walked away from the console, looking at Lucy in the eyes. "I'm honestly not here for any reason at all. I merely happened to arrive here by absolute chance." He then pointed to a device on the console. "You see, I installed a new device in the TARDIS recently. It's called a Randomizer. Once it's set, it locks on to the first planet and time period within the TARDIS's coordinate banks."

He then shrugged. "It was all simple coincidence, really. The TARDIS just detected this place and time, and popped me down here." The Time Lord then crossed his arms. "Though, to be fair, I was not expecting to happen upon a body count as soon as I landed."

His head then perked up. "That reminds me!" He exclaimed. "We need to get out of here." He then turned back to the console and flipped a few switches and buttons for a quick dematerilization. With a flip of a lever, the Time Rotor started to move up and down, and the TARDIS was in flight.

"There. We should be away from the crime scene, now. If I'm right, the responders should be coming for the corpses, and taking them to the morgue." He then looked downward. "I only hope their families will be okay in time…" The Doctor muttered to himself.

It relieved a bit of stress within her stomach when the alien Doctor mentioned that all of this was by chance. She would hate to have to play along with some sort of 'fated' meeting. Those scenarios quickly died down in expectation over the years. As a child, the Diclonius had believed that she and Kouta were destined to meet—-

… _Kouta_…

When the Doctor mentioned that he could shift between different time periods, Lucy felt a weight bear down on her chest; had she that ability, all of those past mistakes could have been reversed. Kanae would have never been killed, nor her once good friend's father. Kouta's memory would not have lapsed and faded in a fit of amnesia.

And she might have had a chance to truly redeem herself.

Lidding the dahlia hues, Lucy frowned, spacing of briefly and succumbing to her own thoughts.

_It's you._

_You._

_That girl, from all those years ago. The girl that ruined my life._

_You killed my sister, and murdered my father. I will never forgive you._

—She must have been truly naive to believe that Kouta would accept Lucy's pleads for forgiveness. The only reason that the Diclonius fought to stay alive, was to eventually escape that dreadful island, and allow her old friend to know how sorry she was.

In the end, that was_ not_ what had happened.

Lucy snapped out of her mental daze once the Doctor brought up the four civilian deaths, noticing how much sorrow he felt towards them

…_How could a complete stranger mourn as if he had known them forever?_

Shaking her head lightly, the renegade eventually spoke up, "…—" Or at least, she thought she was about to. Nothing came out.

The Doctor looked up to Lucy as she tried to say something. His head tilted in curiosity. What exactly could this woman be, if she said herself that her purpose was to extinguish all mankind? And she only looked like she was in her early 20s, too. Did someone brainwash her?

And the way she killed. Nothing touched them. There was no trauma from the children's bodies, and the man's body was too clean cut. Usually, a laser could make a cut like that. But Lucy didn't possess any technology like that.

He moved away from the console, and meandered over to Lucy. "If I may ask, Lucy." He said. "I've never seen someone kill without lifting so much of a finger to do it. The way you killed those children… And that man that was bissected… I've never seen anything like it."

The Time Lord crossed his arms. "How exactly did you do that? And…" He then looked at the black cap that Lucy wore. He noticed two noticeable points that pointed outward from the top of her cranium, just barely pointing the fabric of the cap.

"…Forgive me if I'm overstepping my bounds, as well, but why is there something poking from your cap?"

This topic was bound to be brought up. And even though it was always anticipated, it never failed to bring frustration into Lucy's mind. A reminder that she was not like everybody else, and never would be. Though, she practically assured that it would be a subject of conversation due to killing right in front of the wayward doctor.

Turning her glance upwards, it was tilted back down when a hand reached up, once occupied with the leather carrying satchel's handle on her shoulder, now to her head, removing the hat. Rather, it posed more as a shield. The only way that Lucy would walk freely was that they were _always_ covered.

When the hat was removed and those tell-told horns were revealed, Lucy felt the need to stand taller, prouder. As if just SHOWING these physical abnormalities were considered a felon.

"… _My ability to kill with the lightest touch is not the only difference that I told towards humanity_," Lucy's voice maintained that misanthropic attitude that seemed to always find a home in her personality. No matter how excited, relieved or intrigued that she could get in a situation, it always returned to that detached way of life.

"_The humans call us the Diclonius race… We bear these horns, the most noticeable difference, but the important part are the vectors…_" Lucy looked about, noticing a stray pen on the ground. It was lifted with one of the unseen appendages and placed in the hands of the Doctor as demonstration.

"_We are born with these invisible limbs that can do many, many things… Mostly known in their medical knowledge as perfect weapons._"

The Doctor noticed Lucy's gaze shift to a stray pen on the ground of the console room. He saw that it was then lifted up, and placed in the Doctor's hand. Needless to say, the Doctor was intrigued. He was in the presence of a new species he was, beforehand, unfamiliar with.

"I was wondering where that pen went…" He said, gaze still fixated on Lucy in awe. "…Incredible." He said to himself. He couldn't see the limbs that she called Vectors, but he could very well sense them, as if a ghost had just wandered into the TARDIS and aimed to prey upon its next victim.

The horns, however, interested the Doctor. He could tell that Lucy held the same misanthropic voice as she described her race to the Time Lord. He walked over to Lucy and tapped one of the horns with his finger. His eyes widened as he felt how solid they were.

"Real Keratin." He said to himself, tapping the other horn. "Unbelievable. It's as if they're made of the same material as a mere fingernail." The Doctor noticed Lucy look at him in confusion.

He may have stepped on thin ice with that intriguing display. Since she showed him something hidden, perhaps he might return in kind.

"…Perhaps I should show you something that's different about me as well." He said. "It's not as glaring as your horns, but still rather interesting." He then reached into his inside coat pocket and pulled out a stethoscope.

"Now, listen carefully." He said, before sticking the earpieces inside her ears. He brought the bell up to the heart that humans were familiar with, and stuck it there for ten seconds. The Doctor could see Lucy listening in, and looked very well confused. He then brought the bell to the opposite end of his chest, and held it there for ten seconds, revealing his other heart.

After the small demonstration, he took the earpieces off of Lucy and withdrew the stethoscope in his pocket. "Your ears weren't deceiving you. You were hearing two heartbeats." He flashed a toothy grin. "Binary Cardiovascular System, Lucy." He explained.

What could possibly come from having two hearts? Aside from body efficiency, Lucy could not fathom any specific reason. It was peculiar and intriguing, enough for the Diclonius to begin asking questions once more. He had mention that he was a being of alien descent… It must be within his race.

It must be simple to hide this abnormality. Then again, when Lucy had lost her horns temporarily, it was simple to keep the vectors hidden.

For several years now, more and more infants were born having those temporal protrusions on their heads. Of course, the public masses never knew of their existence, for the majority of them were terminated in the hospital before they could even see another human besides their birth mother.

How long until the entire world knew?

—Returning back on track, the renegade's head tilted lightly.

"You mentioned that you have lived for many, many years… Is it because of your extra organs? Or is it something else?"

Both were in the company of a species that they were unsure of; as long as Lucy was kept calm, nothing ill would happen. And surly the Doctor had no plans of taking the life of the mutation.

Perhaps they were in good terms as of now.

For now, she would answer the man's questions.

"I am not sure what you mean by 'Keratin', but, they do grow back gradually when chipped or removed. According to the scientists… They are the source of the vectors. Which has proven to be true. When they were removed during … Certain incident, I had no use over the vectors for nearly a year as they grew back."

The Doctor's grin persisted as he was now back on common ground with Lucy. "So, your horns grow back after being damaged." He said. "That's what Keratin does. You see, Keratin is the material that's made from the hair and fingernails on a normal human body. And, you could say, mine as well. Like a fingernail that's trimmed, your horns are grown back if they are cut off or severed. Keratin does that, though it's odd that those vectors you had mentioned before are linked to the horns."

He went back over to the console as he maintained the TARDIS in flight. "Biological power source, perhaps?" He said, shrugging. The Doctor looked back at Lucy as she watched him fiddle with the console. "You're right. I have lived for quite some time. 750 years, if I recall correctly. However, it's not really because of my two hearts."

He took his hat off and set it on the side of the console. "You see, Lucy, I'm a Time Lord. Time Lords are known to live for thousands and thousands of years. You could even say that we walk an eternity." The Doctor then scratched the back of his head. "Of course, we're not immortal, but when we wither away from old age, or are killed for whatever reason, we have a new form to take our place. New face, new hair, new body frame, even new personality."

He then grinned at Lucy. "That's a process that we Time Lords on Gallifrey call Regeneration. Just as we are about to die, our cellular structure changes, and any damage repairs itself. It's a bit complicated, though. Because you never know what you're going to get."

He then reached into his pocket, and pulled out his white bag of Jelly Babies. Eating one, he looked over to Lucy, and held the bag out to her. "Would you care for a Jelly Baby?" He asked the Diclonius.

No matter how many questions were answered, the amount of petitions continuously grew, and grew, and grew. NOW this man was speaking of living for hundreds, even THOUSANDS of years? Wait a moment… Lucy's mind hesitated, recalling what he had mentioned during the emotional rave from earlier, when he spoke about watching nations, and races fall in defeat. It made a little more sense now in context— still, all of it proved to be flummoxing.

_What would it be like if I managed to live that long?_

It would be phenomenal, holding the ability to take form once death had come to deliver your soul to the next life. Of course, that lead Lucy to thinking even** more** in depth.

_is this the way life is…? We are born, we live, we die, we start all over once more?_

Lucy was not too sure whether she desired that or not. If that were to be the truth, she'd mentally scold herself to the day she died, to make things different in the next life, if it were so.

_I'd be a better person…_

—But would she be reborn a human? An animal? Maybe even a tree. All of it was a childish thought anyways. Better to focus on the now, rather than the later. She was well aware of what happened last time she looked too far into the future. _Disaster_.

Taking the colorful candy in her hand, Lucy squished it between too fingers in a curious manner before putting it into her mouth, chewing, and swallowing. Fruity? Hmh.

"…Is this the way life is for all of them? Humans, when they are deceased, do their souls find the ability to reform into something else? It is something that I have thought of before… There is so much darkness in the world, what is the point of existing if you only die once it is all over? Wouldn't it make sense for them to return, and continue to learn until they are… No longer—" Lucy paused.

"Never mind. I'm rambling."

The Doctor gazed downward, as Lucy's mind had started to formulate many questions. Deep questions that even the Time Lord himself didn't even have the answers to.

"That's quite alright, Lucy." He said, gaze still shifted downward. "To be honest, I don't think I could answer those kind of questions. What you refer to sounds like the aspect of Reincarnation. Most religions tend to have that viewpoint that depending on how they acted in their lifetime, that they will be rewarded in the next one."

He then looked back at Lucy's eyes as he ate another Jelly Baby in thought. "I understand what you mean, perfectly, with the world being plagued in nothing but darkness. As for the point of living…" The Doctor shrugged. "I often wonder what the point is myself. But what really matters is that you are here, in this very moment. It shouldn't matter _why_ you are here, or if you were here with some other purpose in mind."

He put a hand on Lucy's shoulder, smiling. "Humans tend to try to find a spiritual or otherwise inexplicable reason for their existence. But yet, in all of my travels through time and space, their species have proven time and again to be indomitable."

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin to the Diclonius. "It may come to surprise you, but humans are very capable of doing good things. All it takes is time and progress." He then remembered what he had said about humans back on the Space Station Nerva during his travels with Sarah Jane and Harry, and found himself echoing the same thing that he said. "It may be strange of you to think, and it may be irrational of me to say… But human beings are _quite_ my favorite species."

Clearly, this man has bared witness to so, so much good in his everlasting lifetime. Maybe this was the reason he was able to smile without any sort of qualms. Or was that just some sort of facade? With the experiencing of good, there was always plenty of sorrow to hold as well. Even so… Lucy has never met somebody who could smile so easily.

During her short lifetime, the Diclonius only came across a few examples of happiness: Nana, the Silpelit who had been imprisoned alongside her on the laboratory island. Despite all of the pain that she was put through, that bright-eyed child managed to smile anyways.

And then there was Mayu, who came to live with Kouta and the others shortly before Lucy vanished. She was homeless, just like the renegade killer, and yet she smiled…

_How could somebody be so happy?_

Optimism had never been her strong suit. Growing up in an environment where everybody ridiculed her very existence, it was difficult to even IMAGINE waking up in the morning, prepared for the day.

"It's just… How can you go through so much, and still manage to be happy? I don't understand at all, everybody continues to say that it gets better, that things will change overtime, that there is more good than bad in the world— when does that actually become true?"

There was humanity in Lucy's eyes.

She was not a completely distorted monster. Rather, she gazed upon existence with distorted vision. To her, everything was rotten and worthy of death by her hands.

"…I guess it might be something that I might never understand. There are things in my lifetime that have happened, and I still cannot comprehend as to why it did. Thinking too hard is not going to change anything, though. I know that much," Lucy mused quietly, taking another one of the colorful candies and placing it in her mouth.

"It _does_ get better, Lucy." The Doctor said, his grin persisting. "And you're already showing a sign of that happening. I think…" He then thought to himself, as he popped another Jelly Baby in his mouth. "I think you just needed to see another who was different from you to show you humanity from a different point of view."

As they were talking, K-9 had just rolled into the room. However, he seemed to be on alert status.

"Danger, Master!" K-9 chirped. "Danger! Unseen threats have been detected within the TARDIS!"

His eyes widened. K-9 must have detected the vectors!

"K-9, wait a moment!" He shouted frantically, running over to the dog and kneeling down. "What are you talking about?"

"Energy expenditure of unknown origin has been detected. Impossible to locate, but danger is imminent! Danger!"

It _was_ the vectors, then.

"First off, K-9, be quiet." He said, sternly. "Second, if you keep this up, you're going to scare my new friend away. I'm trying to help her and talk with her, and you're not helping."

"But Master! Danger-"

"I know, K-9. But I assure you, she's a friend. Can you keep quiet and be civil?"

K-9 was silent. The dog was not going to let this fly, was he?

The Doctor sighed. "Listen, K-9. If you can be civil while Lucy is with us, I'll make sure to give you a nice long walk as soon as possible, alright?"

K-9 then nodded. "Affirmative."

"Good. Now, come on and meet my friend."

The Doctor walked back to Lucy as K-9 rolled in front of the Diclonius and Time Lord.

"I do beg your pardon, Lucy, but forgive that little alerting outburst earlier. This is my second best friend, K-9."

He then looked to K-9. "K-9? This is Lucy. Let's try to make her as comfortable as possible in here, shall we?"

"Affirmative." K-9 said. "My full designation is K-9 Mk. II. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mistress."

"—-!"

Now, she had not anticipated any sort of company within this strange little box of inter-dimensional complication. Though, this was a PLEASANT surprise! Eyes widened, and then softened with fascinating and positive attention. Bending down, the Diclonius stared as the robotic contraption that emulated the appearance of a dog.

It was as if there was an entire shift in psyche.

Lucy reached her hand out, patting K-9 on the head, as if it were a living, breathing dog. Bending down to her knees, a subtle smile appeared on her features.

"Hello there," she greeted, "my name is Lucy. Did my vectors startle you? Don't worry, I won't use them on you…"

Had the Doctor not known any better, he would more than likely believe that the pinkette entranced by the robotronic was a completely different person. And not even in the sense of her split personalities. No, Lucy felt a sort of comfort around any sort of animalistic being.

Was it because she felt on an equal level on them?

Or was it that sense of trust that the Diclonius just could not achieve with humans?

Eventually, her head cranked back, glancing up at the scarved man, clearing her throat lightly. Lucy felt a little silly, and decided to stand back up, brushing the front of her dress off.

The Doctor laughed as Lucy composed herself. She was almost a completely different person, now. No longer was she the killer that the Doctor had scolded earlier for her actions, and would very well take his head off, but now it was as if she was just a normal late adolescent. And it seemed that K-9's sudden appearance had facilitated that fact.

Perhaps there was hope for Lucy after all…

"I take it you already like K-9?" He asked. "Well, if you like dogs, and don't mind a bit of robotics, I think you'll get along just fine."

K-9 rolled up to Lucy. "My memory banks are not familiar with the term, vectors. I will assume that what you speak of are the foreign energy readings that I am reading from you."

Something about that arched the Doctor's eyebrow. "Strange that K-9 was able to detect your vectors. I wonder…" He then pressed a few buttons and turned a few knobs. Going over to a monitor on the console, he found a few energy spikes detected within the TARDIS.

"Ah… so K-9 was right." He said. "The TARDIS is detecting some odd energy coming from your vectors. It's hard to tell exactly what kind of energy reading it is, though."

The Time Lord looked up at Lucy, and smiled. "You know something, Lucy?" He asked, as he grabbed his hat. "You are probably the most unique creature I've ever met. Not too long ago, you had so much hate that was dripping from you, like the dreaded giant spiders on the planet of Metebelis III. I've no doubt that you could have ripped me in half without a second thought."

He then put an arm around her, as he looked down at K-9. "And here you are, taking a liking to K-9, and listening to me burble on about my views of life, the universe and everything." He gave a genuine grin to the Diclonius. "If it means anything to you, Lucy. If anyone has called you a monster in the past, they are wrong from what I have seen."

Within a twenty-four hour span in time, the Diclonius had boarded a train, slain a band of complete strangers, been confronted with an utter stranger, who turned out to be an alien of epic proportions, and came to learn that the concept of time was extremely fluid and stranger. It was the most entertainment and shifting in daily pattern that Lucy had experience in a very, very long time.

Also, to add to the difference in this encounter, the renegade, not once, had made an attempt at her confrontee's life. Rather, she found him fascinating. It was almost comforting to know that she was not the only non-human that walked these planes, aside from the animal kingdom. Maybe, just maybe, she could consider somebody a friend.

"—You have to understand, that my mentality is not exactly… In one piece. For these reasons, my emotions and behavior can shift very easily. Many years have been spent being a prisoner to a domineering voice within—"

Lucy had begun to explain her Instinctual DNA, but— as always, whenever this subject was brought up, a sharp pinch could be felt, similar to the pain of a headache. A hand was brought up to her head, wincing, and ceasing the topic.

"… It's complicated, I will leave it at that," she spoke calmly, deciding not to be confrontational. There was always plenty of time to bring it up once more.

If, she would be allowed.

"—As for my vectors, I have been told that they vibrate on a different wavelength. Depending on how quickly, or heavily they are used, there are times when you can catch a glimpse of them. But, that is not too often … I have mastered them to the point where I can be quiet and discrete with each one," Lucy explained.

Many of the things that she knew about herself had not been known prior to her stay in the Kakuzawa Facility. For the longest time as a child, she was naive, and believed to be an extraordinary little girl who could perform magic.

—That was quickly dismissed when she learned that there were others, and that the rest of her kind were kept being thick steel walls, separated from the rest of the world.

The Doctor tilted his head in curiosity as he witnessed Lucy bring a hand to her head as if she just had a slight headache. What prevented her from explaining what she was about to say? Could something be preventing her via pain sensation. With a small shrug, he brushed it off, knowing that they would discuss it another time.

As she explained her vector's abilities, it made a bit more sense about them being able to vibrate through wavelengths.

"Ah!" He exclaimed, as if he found the answer. "I know exactly what you are talking about, my dear." His grin was widened as he made his abundant knowledge known. "Your vectors are read at wavelengths through the electromagnetic spectrum. The very fact that I can't see them right now could be that they are operating on wavelengths that are _very similar_ to gamma rays." His eyes widened. "Ingenious…"

He then moved across from Lucy as he explained further. "If your vectors are able to vibrate more and more, then they become only visible enough to catch a glimpse. Though, if they vibrate _just enough_ to be glimpsed at, that could very well be on par with micro waves…"

The Doctor then turned over to Lucy as he stood across from the Diclonius. "Tell me, Lucy. How strong would you say your vectors are? Given that they can tear through human flesh in an instant, what's the toughest material that they can penetrate?"

There were limits to the immense power that one possessed when wielding vectors; she could only reach within a two meter radius around her. Anybody outside of that length could not be touched unless she were to throw something. It seemed, however, that as more time passed, the stronger her vectors were becoming. She could feel it right down to the bone, the electric sensation whenever one of the unseen appendages reached out to strike somebody down, or when all four were set free, dangling out like limp legs of a spider, awaiting prey.

"—They were gauged to be able to cut through several layers of steel if running with enough power behind it. My body does not wear down when the vectors are in use, but there is only so much that I can handle. If I over work myself, the very core of me will wither. I've learned that most metals do not pose as a threat, aside from thick titanium," Lucy explained, recalling the wide doors that locked her away in the large, expansive room. It took nearly six meter thick walls, along with all of the bindings and vector-cancelling technology to keep the Diclonius queen locked away. Not quite as impressive as the cage that number 35 was locked away in, but daunting nonetheless.

"I've learned that it varies from each of us; no two diclonii are the same, to state it bluntly."

Nana, for example, had much longer vectors, but were not as spectacular and strong as Lucy's. She had not tested and honed her abilities NEARLY as much as the renegade mutant had. That was the case with many of the Silpelits who were brought into the facility at a young age, where LUCY, on the other hand, roamed free until the age of thirteen.

"So, your vectors are linked to your own physical energy. You overwork yourself, you risk fatigue." The Doctor thought out loud. "But most metal doesn't seem to contain your vectors." His eyes widened. "I certainly see what you mean about your vectors being designed as perfect weapons."

He shook his head. "Why must humans always be concentrating on creating more weapons. Vectors could probably be used to _help_, not destroy…" The Doctor muttered. An idea then popped into his mind, perking his head.

"I wonder…" He then turned to K-9 and knelt down. "K-9. Can you extend your analyzer dish?"

"Affirmative." K-9 responded. His red dish then protruded from the center of his optics. "Analyzer online."

"Lucy." Said the Doctor. "Can you have one of your vectors touch K-9's analyzer dish? I want to see if he would be able to detect anything from them."

Following his simple request, Lucy nodded, a vector slipping free; the tips of the unseen appendage's fingers brushed down against the robotic canine's analyzer; whatever he was trying to measure, the Diclonius was not too sure. But it was far more pleasant than the tests and lengths that Kakuzawa's scientists used in order to learn more about the ways of Lucy's strengths.

"You wouldn't be able to imagine just how insane they are when it comes to where they stand on my abilities," she commented, "I once heard that they wished to learn the true reasons as to why I was born with them. A vector virus, if you may. I know more than any of them just how dangerous it is,tampering with that… And then there are others, who only wish to find a vaccine to prevent any more of my kind from being born."

Shoulders shrugged lightly as her physical arms crossed behind her back, the other three vectors simply holding a presence without any issue, "I tried to stop understanding them."

"Contact has been made, Mistress." K-9 said, confirming that he felt the vector. His ears then started to swivel as his red optics began to blink. "Analyzing…"

The Doctor only tilted his head slightly at Lucy's comments about her vectors. "Honestly, I wish I could know more about your vectors, Lucy. They seem very extraordinary. I've really not seen anything like them before."

He then scratched the back of his head as he chuckled a bit. "Forgive me, I don't want to seem like I'm making you a laboratory guinea pig." He quipped. "I think it's wonderful to find a species like yourself. Diclonius, you said?" He then saw Lucy give a slight nod. "Yes… very wonderful, indeed."

"Data analysis complete, Master." K-9 chirped.

"Hmmm?" The Doctor turned back to face K-9. "What have you found?"

"Data analysis shows that Mistress Lucy's "vectors" are indeed limbs that are unseen to the naked eye. Depending on frequency, they have the slightest vibrations and said vibrations determine the force that they can exert. They can range from a simple push, to a catastrophic explosion."

K-9's analyzer dish then started to withdraw. "However, one must exercise caution, Master. There may be times that Mistress Lucy's vectors may operate on their own free will. While Lucy herself has primary control over her vectors, during emotional unrest, they may destroy whomever they might come across."

The Doctor then started to nod. "I see…" He said, absorbing his companion's newfound information.

"One last thing, Master."

"Yes?"

"Virus has been detected from the vector, Master." K-9's ears swiveled again, as if he was cross-referencing information. "It appears to be a hereditary virus. Passed on from a vector touch, it enters the blood stream and contaminates human genetic code, thereby ensuring they pass on that same code to their offspring."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "A genetic altering virus?" He asked.

"Affirmative."

"Am I at risk, K-9?" He asked.

K-9's ears then swiveled. "Insufficient Data." He concluded.

"I have high doubts that it would affect you at all— my vectors have made contact with creatures that are not human, and there were no ill after-effects at all. If you WERE, indeed, just another member of the human race, then you would have been at risk," Lucy answered truthfully.

Extraordinary? Strange, alien and inhumane were adjectives that were usually associated with the Diclonius race, but wonderful and extraordinary? She supposed that it was a better word association. _Anything_ was better than **monster**.

"But as for more information pertaining to vectors, I'm afraid that it is impossible to collect data, unless you were to somehow retrieve it from the Kakuzawa Facility. And absolutely nobody knows of its existence unless they are closely knit with the Japanese government and militia. Our entire existence… Our entire existence as a species, is to be kept a secret from the mass public."

Lucy leaned against the railing, pondering over her own words.

"If you were to mention that you met a girl with horns to anybody, they would immediately brush you off. Or, in worst case scenario, find you insane and admit you."

Of course, this seemed to be necessary. If the entire world knew that there was a species genetically hellbent on wiping out humanity, then there would be a massive panic. More damage would be done than good. And in the long run, even if Diclonii were to be accepted, what sort of life would they have? The governments of high powers would fight over possession of them, using them as weapons of war, or attempting to infect more and more children to create an indestructible army.

"That isn't necessary though," a passive wave from her hand, "I can let you know about nearly everything you could be curious over."

The Doctor smiled at Lucy. "I would like that very much, Lucy." He said. "To be honest, I'm not really interested in going through so much government red tape to learn about you. Besides, most humans tend to describe foreign creatures in hyperbole, more than anything."

He shook his head as he put his hat back on his head. "It's a shame, though, that you must be kept a secret from humans. The very notion that you are nothing but a weapon to them is very sad, indeed. I'm sure you could do so much more than destroy."

He turned to Lucy and grinned. "I'll bet that your vectors could be used to better civilization. There could be a multitude of good things if Diclonii were bred as individuals and able-bodied workers." The Doctor then leaned on the console with Lucy. Thinking for a moment, he thought he might give her something of a positive image. Turning to the console, he altered the coordinates just a bit from the TARDIS's flight path, and decided to set it to orbit around Earth.

He turned to face Lucy. "Take a look over there, Lucy." He said, pointing to the covered viewscreen. Flicking a switch, the viewscreen door went up, uncovering an image. It showed the Earth, bright and vibrant as the TARDIS orbited the planet.

The Doctor could only grin at Lucy's reaction.

It was an abstract image of blues, greens, whites and browns; an orb of multitude and life force. This was the world, that held everybody and everything that had ever taken a breath of air. Home to the millions, maybe billions, of species that had run across golden plains and bitter tundras, or swam through the expansive, deep oceans.

Seeing the planet in which she hailed from was incredible; it was not as black and white as she imagined it would be. In fact, when looking at it from above, one might doubt any sort of evil and despair to lurk within— it brought the Diclonius back to her memories of the zoo as a child. Long necked creatures and colorful things swimming about.

There was so much to the world aside from humans— but the sheer fact that they could cause such an impact in a short amount of time was daunting as well. Humanity was very, very real. Real monsters. Sure, there were diamonds in the rough, but it seemed that it was difficult to find them.

How could this man from an entire different world find them to be so … _interesting?_

Of course, Lucy had come across a few pious humans in her time, but they were few and far in between. Was there a point in history where humans were not so… Naive? Selfish? Somehow, they managed to be the dominant species of the entire planet. But how?

Snapping back to reality after being lost in the thoughts, the Diclonius turned her head, glancing up at the Doctor.

"You had mentioned earlier your fascination with humanity… Did you meet a member of their race that struck you true? I want to know how you came across such good people, and just how uncommon or frequent they might be."

The Doctor nodded at Lucy's question. "Quite a few good people, actually. In fact, some of them have even traveled with me." He went over to Lucy's position as he looked at the planet that they orbited. "Granted, the first people I've ever really traveled with actually ended up forcing themselves inside my TARDIS, but they eventually grew on me. I wasn't so privy to being with humans during my earlier days."

He really wasn't. It had been so long since his travels with Ian and Barbara, and that fateful moment they found him and Susan Foreman inside the TARDIS. Human curiosity got the best of them, and it sparked a journey that had been continuing ever since. Of course, since his first incarnation, the Doctor had warmed up to traveling with humans, but it just took a while.

He smiled to himself. He was quite the grump back then, wasn't he?

"I suppose I am just lucky, Lucy." He said. "I've met many fantastic people that I'm very grateful to have traveled with. Of course, there were times that humans still display their dark side for want of power, fortune, and fame. But the ones I come across were, I think, humanity's best." He looked to Lucy and smiled. "I think you'd come to like the ones I consider my friends." The Doctor said. "They've seen just about as much as I have, and would consider you just as fascinating."

"I've only ever had two friends in my life time… It would be nice to come across more before I depart," Lucy admitted, looking down once more at the marble-esque beauty that was planet earth. From this angle, it almost seemed impossible for one single race to take over an entire existence that was _THIS_ large. It was incredibly fascinating, knowing that even before a single homo sapien stepped foot on the ground, the dinosaurs of old crashed and roamed the once arid earth.

She'd always had a fondness for dinosaurs as a child. Their scaly bodies and horns were reminiscent of her own mutations, making them intriguing to the young Diclonius.

Ergo, the mutant had thought she was part triceratops for nearly six months, before coming to realize that many other essential attributes of reptilians were missing.

"I've always yearned for… Friends. People that won't forsaken me, just because I'm a little different. Kouta and Aiko— both of them suffered so much because of me. And yet, both of them considered me a friend beforehand. I guess…—"

A hand reached up, brushing against her own shoulder.

"…I guess you could say that I've never crossed somebody's path without causing them misfortune in some way. And usually— actually, every time, it is my fault. If I were only a little more trustworthy— if I could control this… Beast within me, I would be able to try and see past all of the bad in the world, and see the good."

She was not exactly frowning, but Lucy did feel regret for what had happened in the past. Harming Kouta. Not being able to save Aiko's life. All she wished to have was some sort of optimism.

The Doctor put a comforting arm around Lucy as the both of them looked on at the blue planet that the TARDIS orbited. "You're certainly one to talk about being different." He quipped. "How often is it that someone like you ends up in the company of a Time Lord? More to the point, with a Time Lord, in his TARDIS, in orbit above your home planet? I know a thing or two about being different, Lucy." With a smile, he looked at Lucy in the eye.

"And yet, you don't even realize, you're in the company of a friend currently." He tilted his head just a bit. "Of course, our first meeting wasn't under the best circumstances, but people _can_ change. No matter what kind of race you are."

The Doctor then advanced a bit forward before turning around to face Lucy. "You're definitely not evil, Lucy. If you were, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I think all you need is a bit of change. So, a change like this…" He then outstretched his arms, as if he were presenting the TARDIS. "Might be something that you needed for some time. And if you're looking for friends, well…" He went over to K-9 and knelt next to him.

"You've got us for the time being. What say you, K-9?"

"Affirmative." The dog chirped. "I will assist in looking after the Mistress."

A smile was cracked on Lucy's features— was this was it felt like to have … Family? People who cared for her well-being? Whether it was or not, she was more than receptive for this opportunity. It would be a trial to make sure that her Instinct would not smolder this building, symbolic flame of trust, but it was a struggle that she was willing to fight through.

_You silly, naive girl… Don't you know? This will never turn out for the best. Prepare yourself for the worst._

Brushing off the auditory pest, Lucy returned her focus and curiosity up front.

"…I would love to consider the both of you good friends. You have proven that I can trust the two of you, and I thank you for that," she admitted, smiling all the while.

"—How many places have you actually been on this 'TARDIS'? You sound as if you are well-traveled you've definitely have to have crossed almost everywhere possible. What were some of your favorite locations?"

And then the questions began to trickle out, as if she were a care free child once more. Lucy's psyche was calming down to the point where she could feel secure enough to do so. It was a positive step towards being able to stand for herself, and not the killing Instinct.

"Oh, I wouldn't say I've been _everywhere_, Lucy." The Doctor said, standing up. "Although, I've been to many different galaxies and planets." He recalled some of his past travels. There were many places he had been to, but always ended up on Earth. It was funny how that worked.

"Though, to be perfectly honest, Earth has always been my favorite place. It's been my home away from Gallifrey for some time, and for a planet occupied by humans, it is a very beautiful place."

He flashed a toothy grin while chuckling. "Besides, where else can I get a good plate of fish and chips? I can't really get that on the planet Arcadia. I rather like the cuisine here, too."

He then eyed the planet on the viewscreen. "Yes…" He trailed off. "…I guess you could say that this is my favorite place. In fact, this was the first planet I went to since I left Gallifrey."

The assumption was made that 'Gallifrey' was this man's home— but it sounded as if he had not been there in many, many years. Had he left on purpose, was he and his kind flooded out? It felt as if it were a personal question; it would be held until later. For now, Lucy wished to keep the scenario calm and collect.

"And since you can move through time— does that mean you've been able to witness historical events?" The Diclonius blinked lightly, her head tilted in thought. There were PLENTY of things that people would give in order to go back and see the past. Situations such as the American Revolution, the time of the ancient Romans, maybe even a period in which dinosaurs walked and shook the earth.

And then he spoke of other planets— just how many were there? The great minds of science spoke in these days, wondering if Earth were alone within the universe. Apparently, there were at least two others. And probably many, many more, with the way that the Doctor continued on.

The Doctor turned away from the viewscreen and faced Lucy. "Oh, yes, Lucy. One of the perks of being a Time Lord. Witnessing history unfold in front of your very eyes. I've even met a few historical celebrities in my time. Even Leonardo da Vinci. Very nice fellow, he is. His Mona Lisa, I believe, is one of the great treasures of the Universe."

At least, to the Doctor, anyway. Some would have words with him, but he always believed that nothing, _nothing_ could beat the Mona Lisa when it came to what was the best artistic piece in the whole galaxy.

"—I'm not too sure what fish and chips are." Lucy said after a short pause

With a small grin, he went over to the console and set some new coordinates for a small spot in London. There was a small area overlooking a dock that he visited a few times with Sarah Jane that had a wonderful fish and chips vendor. He'd have to keep it within Lucy's time, though. He didn't want to go back to 1978 London yet.

"I think you will soon." He said. "I'll have the TARDIS materialize in London. I know of a wonderful fish and chips stand. Hopefully it's still around." Looking over to her as he flipped a lever, he smiled. "I've no doubt you must be hungry, Lucy."

"Oh— a little, yes."

Now, art had never been the Diclonius's forte, but she was well aware of who Leonardo da Vinci was. He was the subject of a few classes during her orphanage days. They were taught about several famous painters and such, da Vinci being one of them, along with Van Gogh, Monet and a few others. Lucy herself tried her hand at art, but it was never a talent that she could master. Therefor, anybody with artistic skill was admired in her eye.

A little was an understatement. The last bit of food that had went into her stomach was nearly two days ago, when she managed to get a bar of granola for a few yen at a convenience store. One of the things that assisted her when killing, was being able to take money off of the victims. Though, many people these days ceased in carrying cash, and instead took credit and debit cards, which inhibited Lucy from using them.

"—Materialize, that means appear, right? I guess you can wind up wherever you wish with this sort of technology. It has to be convenient at times, I can imagine."

"Yes, Lucy. Very convenient." He said. "What you saw earlier when we were in that tree was the TARDIS materializing. It sort of disappears and reappears whereever it can find a convenient landing spot. Certainly a lot better than flying a spacecraft and landing it in an ostentatious fashion."

He saw the TARDIS was coming up on London, and took to a lever as he kept talking. "Materializing is certainly a lot better than that. Because it makes people wonder how long a Police Box has been in that little area, rather than gawking at a fancy space ship."

As he finished pulling the lever slowly, the Time Rotor stopped, and made a "Ding" sound, signifying its landing. Putting his hat on, he flipped a lever, opening the TARDIS doors.

"Looks like we've arrived. Should be a wonderful night, I think." He then bent down on the floor and grabbed Lucy's cap. "Best remain incognito for the time being, Lucy." The Doctor said, handing Lucy the black cap.

"Of course— humans are naturally curious, and having an entire group of them circling around something that's obviously alien would draw unneeded attention, and probably sprout obnoxious urban legends," Lucy mused, taking her cap to adjust it back on her head. The horns created small protrusions, but they were hardly noticeable, and could easily be passed as an uneven bit of fabric that was poked up during production.

A nod, and the two filed out of the TARDIS.

London was, well— words to describe the city would be, unique, interesting. The people spoke with color in their tone, an accent that the Diclonius was not used to. Along with that, the architecture was different from her home. Even the fashion of people walking along the streets was far different from Japan.

Both arms folded lightly, glancing around.

"Do you come here often?"

"Hmmm?" The Doctor hummed as he closed the TARDIS door behind them. "Oh, far more often than you would think, Lucy. I rather like it, to be honest."

He took Lucy's hand as they walked down a sidewalk. "Come on. Let's get something to eat."

After a few minutes of walking, they made their way to a fish and chips stand near a view of the River Thames. Just off in the distance was the Westminister Palace, with the Westminister Bridge lighting up the night sky.

The Doctor grabbed two plates of steaming, hot fish and chips. He handed one to Lucy and found a few stools and tables on the crosswalk. They both sat down, with the view of the River providing a nice backdrop.

The Doctor then began to eat his chips. He didn't remember the last time he had an English meal, so this was a welcome change. As he ate a few chips, he looked over to Lucy, who was eyeing both the River view, and the food she held.

Being akin to a diet of rice, porridge and vegetables, eating something that was NOT home cooked or left in therefrigeratorsof abandoned homes happened to be rather new for Lucy. In fact, spending any sort of extended time among humans was almost unheard of for the renegade. The last time that she sat out in public with a friend— well, she was seven years of age, and it was a small bench within the limits of a downtown zoo.

Not to mention that the view was nice. It was different from the beach and mountain ranges cradling Kamakura within the Kanagawa Prefecture, but it was a good different. She'd only seen these places in books before, and here she was, now experiencing it all for real.

The fish, in proportion, was rather large, leaving her to pull it apart between her fingers, "I've never had fish like this— it's usually steamed or raw," Lucy mentioned, blinking between bites. Her interest could be compared to that of a child; when she found something to latch onto, there was little that could distract her.

"I guess now's an appropriate time to say thanks," she smiled lightly with a nod.

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin to the Diclonius. "You're very welcome, Lucy." He said. "It might not be the most fanciest food, but I'm sure it suffices." The Time Lord playfully jabbed his elbow at Lucy's arm as he pulled apart his battered fish and ate it.

He could see Lucy starting to eat the fish and chips a little quicker, no doubt hunger taking over the young Diclonius. She must have not eaten for days, it would seem.

"Slow down, Lucy. Enjoy this." He said. "I understand that it's been a while, with the way you're eating, but good fish and chips should be enjoyed. Regardless, these are rather good." He popped a chip into his mouth. "I used to eat here sometimes with one of my closest companions. Sarah Jane Smith was her name. Wonderful girl, she was. Very feisty, but upfront. Knows when to show initiative, and never the type to sit back and hide." He smiled as he thought of Sarah.

"You would like her, Lucy. She's a very dear friend of mine."

Pausing for a moment, she cleared her throat, a tad embarrassed that she was eating that quickly. Then again, she was not used to laying back and simply enjoying life as it was. She slowed down either way, just so that she would not race through the entire meal and end up filling her stomach with air.

"I suppose… You've met a lot of people in your lifetime, you would know who is worth the time, and who isn't. Did she travel around with you as well?"

Lucy wondered whether or not that was a constant factor in his daily life, helping people who did not look at with world with happiness, and turning them around. Though their meeting had only been brief so far, the renegade felt as if she could trust this man known as the Doctor.

It would not be easy to fight through the killing Instinct within, but— there was always a change, surely.

She would not be subject to this beast within forever, right?

The Doctor nodded. "Yes. Sarah did travel around with me." He smiled as his thoughts were recollecting all of his previous adventures with her. "I've known her since my previous regeneration. We saw all sorts of different planets, and had many adventures together. She was nothing short of marvelous. Very sweet, and no doubt my best friend."

He then looked down at his fish and chips. "Unfortunately, I received a call from my home planet of Gallifrey during my time with her. The Time Lords summoned me, and I had to obey. Humans aren't really allowed on my home planet, as the Time Lords are a bit xenophobic."

Taking a bit of fish, he chomped on it. "So, I had no choice. I had to leave her behind. Of course…" He tilted his head. "I dropped her off back to her home, but I couldn't take her with me."

The Time Lord looked at Lucy with a smile. "I'll never forget that woman, Lucy. I certainly hope she doesn't forget me."

Listening to the tale that he spoke of, the Diclonius nodded. Though it wasn't specifically mentioned, she could notice that he felt just a bit of sadness towards all of it. But who wouldn't? When one forms a connection with an other, it hurts to break it.

"I don't think that anybody could forget somebody like you," Lucy mentioned truthfully, "erhhmm, not just because you travel around in a blue box and show up at random. You're a good person— and I can't say that about many people."

Her smile grew just a little more.

"I'm sure she recalls you just fine, Doctor."

Out of all of the individuals she had come across in her time here on Earth, there was only a handful that would ever be considered to be held with trust by the Diclonius. And this strange man in a scarf happened to be one of them.

The Doctor smile grew into his toothy grin as he chuckled at Lucy's kind words. It seems like he got through to the Diclonius and made a connection.

He could see it. She _wasn't_ a monster.

"I'm sure she does, Lucy." He said with a small nod and chuckle. "I'm sure she does…"

The Time Lord put an arm around Lucy as the both of them ate their fish and chips quietly, enjoying the view of the River Thames, the lights shining brightly against the dark backdrop, and the stars twinkling in the night sky.

The next hour or so consisted of light-hearted conversation, a few laughs here and there, and thought-provoking comments. Lucy did not know too much about the world and its different colors, but gradually, it seemed that her shades of white and gray were earning hues here and there.

"I bet you never run out of places to wind up— I didn't realize that there was so much more to the world than just the close-minded individuals that surrounded me as a child. And that there is even life outside of this planet! It must be impossible to be able to see everything in one life time… is that one of the reasons why you can regenerate? Or is that just an attribute of your kind?"

The Doctor ate another chip as he listened to Lucy's question. "That's merely an attribute all Time Lords possess, Lucy." He answered. "Usually, in one regeneration, a Time Lord can live for up to about 400 years. That's how it was for me in my first form. Other times, though, I got a little too close to death's touch, and regenerated into another form."

He looked at his hands. "I've had many faces during my time, Lucy. This one being the fourth. So far, so good with this model, I think. I certainly hope it lasts."

The Doctor laughed a bit. "You're right. I don't run out of too many places to head off to. I have an entire cosmos at my disposal. I could go anywhere I wanted to, honestly." He then pat the bench they both sat on. "Though, it's always nice to wind back here from time to time.

She personally could not imagine living for that long, watching people who you once knew decease before you, see entire worlds change as you stand there stagnant. The more she thought about it, the more Lucy realized how big of a burden this entire existence could be.

—One must get rather lonely, being able to live nearly forever.

"I guess you have the time to see all of it, I suppose. Or maybe you even have your limits. Even so, you've more freedom than many people have on a daily basis."

The Doctor nodded. "Indeed. Funny thing about time travel and being a Time Lord. One often wonders if I ever _do_ find the time. When there's so much I've discovered, or yet to discover."

He ate a bit more of his fish. "Still, at least I've met some good people along the way. You included." He munched a bit of the fish before finishing off the rest of his chips. "It _is_ wonderful to have the freedom of a Time Lord, but it helps greatly when I have someone to travel around with."

Nodding, a 'chip' was dipped into a small pit of ketchup, nibbling the end. They were a little hot as she tried to avoid burning the roof of her mouth, "Can you ever remember a time where you were _not_ constantly traveling around?"

An elbow leaned against the table, her eyes once more finding the stars above; they were wondrous this time of evening, just as the sun was wrapping up and setting, allowing the moon to take reign of the evening as patriarch of the sky.

"No, Lucy." The Doctor said, shaking his head. "The only times I could really remember not traveling were my younger days back on Gallifrey, when I was at the academy. Nowadays, I'm usually anywhere and everywhere, never really stopping." He grinned at Lucy. "Really, I wouldn't have it any other way. I rather like being on the move constantly."

"It must be nice," Lucy nodded, "personally, I travel around a lot," she began to speak, reaching and messing with the straw in her glass of water, "but not to other countries and such. Just around the Kanagawa Prefecture. I cannot exactly stay in one place for too long, as you can imagine, the authorities are constantly on my trail. So I just meander here and there each night."

Recalling the first time where she knew in her gut that she was required to kill for a home, the Diclonius sighed, shoving the bad thoughts out of her head for the time being.

"Guess that's changing for now, hmh?"

The Doctor smiled at Lucy. "I suppose it is. At least for the better." He said. "Though you'll have to forgive me. I've not traveled with a runaway fugitive before."

He finished off the remains of his fish and chips, and the rest of his water glass. Brushing off his hands, he stood up from his seat.

"Let's get back to the TARDIS." He said to Lucy. "After all of this excitement, I imagine you haven't slept in a while."

Ahhh, a good evening of sleep. When was the last time that the renegade was able to lay down and rest, without waking up at as the sun set in order to move about? The thought of it brought relief to her mind; now that she thought of it, it had nearly been two days since Lucy had actually slept.

"That actually sounds like a good plan," she nodded, standing and following after as asked. Both arms were crossed behind her back, rather than hanging limp to the sides. Perhaps it was for the sake of not looking strange and gangly to this new environment.

The Doctor and Lucy made their journey back to the blue Police Box as the night life began to take hold on the streets of London. As the streets lights began to flicker on, they found their way back to the TARDIS.

Unlocking the door, Lucy and the Doctor made their way back in, the Doctor flipping the door lever, closing the doors.

"If I recall, there should be a spare bedroom in the corridors." He said with a toothy grin. "Come on. I'll take you to it." He then opened the door from the console room leading to a hallway.

The interior hallway seemed to match that of the console room. The corridor was white, with roundels on the walls, as per the TARDIS's design. They walked down the corridor, making a left turn until finding a door.

"Here we are!" He said. "Welcome to your new bedroom, Lucy." The Doctor opened up the door, and flicked a light switch, revealing a suite-like room. It, of course, had a nice, comfortable bed. Twin size, however. There were also a small sofa and a few cushioned recliners here and there. There was a dresser, a mirror, and even a small chess set in one of the corners of the room. And, as usual, there were roundels that populated the walls.

"It's not much." The Doctor said to Lucy, picking up a cushion and inspecting it. "But I hope you'll find this comfortable."

What this traveling man considered 'not much' was rather appealing, actually. For the first time in— well… ever, the renegade had a space to call her own, one that was not confined against steel walls, enveloping her in restraints and painful contraptions. It was not a damp corner in the street, or a home stolen from humanity by her killing vector's.

All it was, happened to be a cozy little nook, where she could retire in the evening, and not worry about awakening and having to flee.

Stepping up to the mirror with curious Instinct, a vector reached up, tapping the material ever so lightly, leaving a smudge. Turning, the Diclonius nodded, and smiled.

It was nothing like the cramped room that she bunked alone in at the orphanage. The atmosphere was welcoming, rather than one that made you feel like a burden.

"I like it very much," Lucy smiled, the expression lingering for a moment before said vector reached around, grabbing the doorknob, "it isn't a habit of mine to be brief, but, I'm exhausted I'll speak with you later tomorrow, Doctor."

The Doctor turned around to find that the door opened by itself. Must have been from Lucy's vector. He flashed a toothy grin to the Diclonius.

"I understand, Lucy. If you need to turn off the lights, a clap should turn them off." He then pointed to an intercom on the wall next to the door. "If you need to, give a shout to me with that intercom. That links directly to the console room."

He looked around the room, seeing if he forgot anything. "That should be everything, I believe." He said. "I'll have K-9 guard your door, just in case." He then walked out of the door but turned around and tipped his hat to Lucy.

"Good night, Lucy." He said. "Sleep tight."

"Yes. Good night."

And with a simple message of departure, Lucy did just as she planned to do; she rummaged through an attached closet, finding a pair of light blue sleeping pajamas, changing into the comfortable cotton and sitting on her bed, staring at the different details of the room, almost as to memorize it.

Not because she was forgetful, but more so, just in case—

Just in case this was a pleasant dream. Just in case she were to awake the next day, laying on her size next to the grave site of a man named Junoichi Takada. It was a headstone that the renegade often found herself next to when resting within Kamakura Cemetery. No particular reason, it just happened to lay on a comfortable piece of land.

Exhaling, both hands clapped, the lights shutting off as she laid to sleep.

* * *

Lucy would awaken. But to the sound of industrial lights turning on.

The hum of machinery.

The monotonous chirp of medical equipment.

Her vision was spacey as they was chained to a wall by her wrists and ankles, head held low as muttering behind an observation window could be heard.

—What were they saying?

_"It's important to take a sample of her blood before putting her into the confinement chamber. We will require it for furthering our knowledge on the Diclonius race. Chief Kurama, you did say she was delivered, correct?"_

_"Yes. A peculiar man, we never did catch his name. He sounded relieved to have brought her here, though. It's incredible that he even made it out alive."_

A flash of light, and then darkness. Then the air became thinner, and thinner, and thinner— until Lucy could feel an unwelcoming familiar tension on her body.

_"These state of the art restraints are made of the strongest materials that we could get our hands on. Her vectors should not be able to manipulate it at all… We cannot risk another breach. Lucy will not be allowed into the world again, she is a danger to all of mankind."_

She could barely muster words, but was able to scream out—

_"**YOU'RE A LIAR!**"_

* * *

— And then, it was all over. Lucy was sitting up in her bed in the dark, panting and struggling to breath, her shoulders stiff, arms and legs numb.

It— was just a nightmare?

A terribly realistic one, but a nightmare nonetheless.

Calm down, calm down, calm down—- Her vision was still a little blurry from just being awoken, and could not make it to her satchel— she couldn't grab her precious music box.

Instead, the Diclonius grabbed onto the sides of her head, forcing a melody from her throat.

"_La la laaa… La la… meditabitur… sapientiem …_"

* * *

The TARDIS was in mid-flight. The Doctor had set it to orbit Earth once again after he finished his nap. It was peculiar, too. It wasn't often, but his nap was plagued by a nightmare.

He had nightmares in the past, but nothing this severe. He was on Skaro, pursued by Daleks, and Davros was there. He and Lucy were held prisoner, but the both of them seemed to escape. Until it seemed that Davros got to her first.

She would go on to eviscerate the Doctor, tearing him limb from limb.

There were very few things the Doctor feared, but if it involved the Daleks brainwashing his companion, one that could very well be dangerous if mentally destroyed…

The Doctor shook his head as he turned a few knobs. That would _never_ happen. He would not let it.

Lucy was _not_ a monster. And he would _never_ let anyone turn her into one.

He shed his red frock coat earlier, but kept the scarf wrapped around his neck, the coat hanging on the coat rack with his hat. It seemed a bit hotter to him after that nightmare. Also strange, considering how most Gallifreyans have a colder internal temperature than humans.

Something seemed very odd.

He checked the TARDIS's relative clock. It was coming up to 9:00 AM. Should be a good morning rise to Lucy.

He walked out of the console room, making his way to Lucy's bedroom door. When he arrived, he was just about to knock, but stopped short.

The Doctor's eyes widened in curiosity. He could hear something on the other side of the door. He listened closely.

Was Lucy… singing?

* * *

It had been nearly four hours since that night terror shook Lucy awake; no attempts at lulling back into a comfortable slumber had been made. Instead, she lays on her bed, one knee tucked up to her chest, the other laying natural. One hand still grips the side of her head, the right remained the same.

The only thing that had changed since waking up was the presence of her cherished music box, placed close to her head, just far enough so that the sound of the mechanism within would not hurt her head.

It was the same collection of notes, playing over and over.

_Dum dum dummmmm, dum dum._

It would rise, fall, and rise again. When the melody ended, so would Lucy's mutters. Only to wind up the music box and listen once more.

"_Kyriieee, ignis divine elllleison…_"

The possibility of Lucy hypnotizing herself into only focusing on the box was high, for she had yet to end the trance.

The Doctor could hear not only Lucy singing, but the presence of a music box that had the melody of the same song that Lucy was singing. His eyes widened.

He had heard this song before.

Leaning against the wall next to Lucy's door, he brought a hand to his temple. That same song he heard carried a sombre, yet beautiful tone to it. It was an interesting song that he never thought would come across.

The song had spoken of love, kindness, serenity, and sanctum. But yet, with those qualities that the song entailed, the tone of the song itself seemed… almost depressive.

As if it were hopeful for sanctum, but would seem like an objective unobtainable.

The Doctor only uttered the song's name to himself as he felt a wave of emotion pass over him.

"Lilium…"

* * *

Only seconds after the Doctor would utter that word to himself, the mechanism once again stopped, the music halting. Slowly, Lucy regained use of her mentality, now that the 'spell' had been broken.

Her heightened senses easily pinpointed the man standing by her door— had he listened in on her lamentations? Sitting up and slipping off of the bed sheets, feet patted against the floor, until the mutation made it to the door.

She could have easily opened it with her vectors, though it seemed that it was difficult to utilize them in such an odd state.

The door opened.

Eyes glanced up.

The Doctor was standing in front of Lucy. He was just about to open the door himself, until Lucy beat him to the punch. He looked at her with sullen eyes.

It had been a while since he felt an emotion like that.

"Lilium…" He said, trying to find the words. "…That was Lilium you were singing in there, Lucy." He walked by her and entered her room. "I remember the first time I heard that song. I went to a Latin Opera House in 1928. One of the opera singers there sang that song. It was… something I never thought would give me such powerful feelings."

He went over to the mirror, looking at himself and the Diclonius. "It talked of love, tranquility, and kindness. Sanctum. Something of a wanted romance. But the tone of the song always carried a sombre tone with it."

The Time Lord turned to face Lucy. "Though I never thought someone like you would come across that song."

He went over to the bed, and found a small box. Sitting on the bed, he took the box and inspected it. He opened it, and wound it up.

_Dum dum dummm, dum dum._

He was right. Lilium played.

Shutting the box, he ended the song. "Tell me, Lucy. How did you come across this song?" He asked, still looking at the box.

"How did I come across it…?"

_"I just thought it was a pretty song, that's all…"_

Faster than she had silenced when she first put the Doctor's emotional values on the chopping block upon the moment their paths crossed, Lucy clammed up, frowning and glancing down at the wooden frame of the music box. Her thumbs brushed against them, as if to try and figure out how it must have felt the day that Kouta had come across the horned child.

How he dropped it when he noticed the horns upon her head, triggering the music, and thus connecting them.

"…"

Was Kouta still her friend?

Doubtful. Not after the sins she had commit on that horrible, horrible train ride. _Kanae. His father. And almost Yuka._

Even if he were to accept her apology in the long run, there was no chance that the Diclonius— a **mutation**, a** murderer**, a **beast**, could ever feel comfortable around him and the others, ever again.

"… An old flame," she'd eventually answer, quietly.

The Doctor looked at her, her gaze downtrodden as she spoke in a quiet manner. He could feel many things coming from Lucy. Many emotions.

Sadness. Regret. Fear. Even trace amounts of anger.

She was holding a few things back.

"An old flame, eh?" He repeated, inspecting the music box. "Interesting. Someone introducing you to such a sombre song like this. I wonder why…"

His eyes widened a bit to when he thought back to his meeting with Lucy the night before. He barely heard her sing Lilum when she murdered those four people.

Was this a mantra to her…?

"I never thought one little song could carry such a powerful aura about it." He said. "And yet, I'm feeling such incredible emotions coming from you." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't doubt you went through such trying times, being the species you are, and feeling humanity's judgmental attitude towards you. Did this song have anything to do with those times?"

Her hands became antsy, the need to cling and grab onto something becoming more and more prominent. This was one purpose that the music box served, something to cling to, to keep herself from relapsing into a fit of mindless destruction.

She never did learn why Kouta loved that song.

Though it was a pillar of how the two became friends momentarily.

The corners of Lucy's mouth tugged down into a firm expression, not wishing to display any sort of action that could be dubbed as 'vulnerable'. For she was better than that, correct?

Kouta…

How she wished to understand why he did not speak the truth.

—What was so wonderful about that other girl?

Or had it been the fact that she herself held far too much emotion for the boy at the time? But who would not? The first living being to show true kindness to her, the young Diclonius was BOUND to cling to what she had.

_Liar…_

Eventually, her head would lift back up, both hands gripping her thighs to remain steady.

"I—…"

A thick gulp.

Her head shook softly, "… I'd rather not speak of it."

"…I see."

The Doctor put a hand over Lucy's clutching hand and rubbed it. "It must have been something traumatic." He could see Lucy tensing up, her muscles locking as she tried to remain calm and steady her emotions. She wasn't agitated, but it seemed like she needed to let her emotions out. If she didn't wish to speak, then what was so bad to have happened back then…?

Normally, he wouldn't intrude, but a delicate psyche is hanging in the balance. If her emotions bottled up, who know when the geyser may erupt? That could very well turn into a geyser of blood.

Nonetheless, he decided to take a big risk.

"Lucy, look at me."

Lucy's eyes turned to face the Time Lord's, their gazes locking. "I know you don't feel comfortable talking about it, but I propose something. Instead of telling me about it, why don't you show me?"

He raised an index finger. "Time Lords have telepathic abilities. If you wish to show me what happened through mental projections, you're free to do so. I understand that merely talking about it may be difficult to do, hence why I'm suggesting this."

The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder. "I want you to have nothing to worry about. You're my friend, and my companion. I care what happens to you, and will help you in any way possible. I won't enter your mind without your permission."

He smiled. "Now. What say you, Lucy?"

—Was that proposition even a **safe** one? It was clear and obvious that her friend was worried and concerned for her well being and mental stability. The biggest complication HAD to be the threat of her Instinct, just awaiting for a perfect time to get a stronghold on Lucy's mind, taking the reigns and doing whatever it pleased to do.

As physical contact was made, her anxiety gradually dropped, now that she did not stand stagnant and shaking. Instead, a shaking hand reached out, plucking the music box from the Doctor's grip. She would quietly mutter an apology, hoping that he wound understand that it was not a gesture of hostility.

"…Showing you, I— my mind isn't safe. There's … Somebody who speaks to me, they've always been there— but they didn't show up, until…"

Lips pursed, eyes shutting.

Could she make this gamble and hope for the best?

Lucy herself could not remember absolutely everything from the past, and maybe by allowing the Doctor to peer in, he could assist her in moving on.

In rehabilitating.

They WERE friends, correct? She should be able to trust him.

"I guess, if you feel that strong about the situation… How would we even go about that?"

The Doctor's smile persisted. "Simple. I make contact with you telepathically, and I can have access to your mental landscape. I'll be able to wander around freely, though even I'm not sure what's inside someone's mind. It's been a while since I've done so, but if I recall, everyone's mind is different. They have different landscapes and environments."

He drew back Lucy's bangs from her head, getting a clear view of her eyes. "I'm aware I'm taking an awfully big risk with this. I don't know what's going on inside of your head, but if there's… somebody that talks to you in there…" He pointed to her head. "…Then that might not be normal. I need to have a look and see where in your life you started to become this… killer that you were conditioned to be."

The Doctor than put a hand on the music box that Lucy clutched tightly. "And to see where in your life this song took such a hold on you."

He then brought both of his hands to her temples, and looked at her eyes. "Now, if you still don't object to this, shall we begin?"

Inhale, and then exhale. _Keep yourself together, this is important_.

"Okay. I'm ready, Doctor."

The Doctor closed his eyes as he concentrated. He then was able to establish a successful mental link with Lucy.

"Contact."

She could feel the fingertips barely touch the base of her horns, since they grew so close to her temples. Lucy blinked a few times, before relaxing and focusing so that the much taller man could perform this odd phenomenon.

Once her shoulders loosened up, the Diclonius allowed her mind to be looked into.

* * *

The mental landscape stood bare, with soft tones of blue mixing with the harsh blackness around.

If one were to be consumed by this environment and walk, their footsteps would echo against unseen walls.

All was silent, before the Doctor would be able to see through the eyes of a much, much younger Lucy. His presence that of a ghost, observing her memories like a play.

Two separate, feminine voices could be heard outside of a door right next to a bunk bed. Simple pieces of furniture, including a dresser and a desk could be seen.

"_Did you hear? That girl has a fever _**again**_._"

"_Again? Ugh, that kid gives me the never plays with any of the other children, and nobody wants to bunk with her—_"

"_—And those horns, they're so disgusting_."

"Her horns? _Disgusting…?"_ The Doctor repeated.

A soft sigh, and the young child would sit up, breathing out softly before slipping out of her bed, maneuvering her way through hallways before winding up outside.

The young one would wind up collapsing on the ground, laying there for a moment before small footsteps could be heard.

Paws!

Lifting her head up, the child looks upon a small puppy in front of her.

"Did you come over here because you were worried about me?" She would rhetorically ask quietly, her voice extremely soft-spoken.

"Don't worry… I'm not lonely. I'm—… I'm not lonely…"

The Doctor couldn't help but smile. "That certainly explains your affinity for K-9, Lucy." He said to himself.

—

Abruptly, the sight shifted to what seemed to be a classroom; the young horned one was surrounded by three seemingly older boys, the main one goading and egging her on.

"You know, I heard they found you all alone in a field," his voice rose and fell, almost in a playful manner, "I bet your parents abandoned you because of those freaky horns on your head!"

Unresponsive, the young girl would try to ignore it all; it seemed this was 'normal'. Turning to leave, she would be tripped by another one of the boys, the three then laughing in a cruel way.

"Ahahaha! You must be some sort of animal because you're DEFINITELY not human!"

The Doctor couldn't help but feel sympathy for Lucy. He knew children could be cruel at times, but this… This was just terrible.

"Oh no…" He said. "Oh dear. You were bullied, Lucy…?"

Vision went black, and then appeared once more momentarily.

The sight shifted into something different. It was the same room, this time, with Lucy being held by one of the kids in a full nelson hold. He then heard frantic barking.

It was the puppy!

What happened next, the Doctor could not believe.

Held back and bound by one of the bullies' arms, the young Diclonius struggled in his grip, trying to break free before her one companion, her one little ray of light, was harmed. But to no avail, the child would not be successful…

_W-why?! Why is this happening?!_

With each strike that Tomoo inflicted on the small canine, the child struggled harder, and harder, trying to break FREE! If she could only break that hold she could save him!

"Stop it! "

Another little girl runs into the room, trying to stop the boys from hurting the dog further. The pinkette would recognize this child as one of the people she asked to keep the dog a secret from Tomoo and the other boys.

—Thus,furthering the devastation when she heard him say,

"Tch, why? You're the one who told us about the dumb dog anyways," the boy scoffed.

—The little Diclonius gasped, eyes widening, before her head dropped.

_…And since they're unhappy, they're probably looking for somebody who's worse off than they are._

The Doctor's eyes widened as the event transpired before him.

He couldn't bear to watch the children that beat the poor, defenseless dog to death, and the revelation that one of the kids was forced to tell them about the puppy.

Lucy's voice mumbled.

"You know who isn't human…?"

Then rose ever so lightly.

"You KNOW who isn't HUMAN…?!"

—And then, the scream. A screech. A voice full of absolute hatred and venom.

"_PEOPLE LIKE YOU!_"

Lucy didn't notice what had happened to her when her rage took over. But to the Doctor, he witnessed something he did not expect.

For within an instant…

The town was painted red, so to speak.

In a quick moment, the three children's heads exploded, leaving no traces of anything above their necks. The entire walls and ceiling stained with blood, bits of skull and traces of brain matter. The whole room was deathly quiet.

The Time Lord fell to his knees. He shook his head at the sight before him. "Oh Lucy…" It was all he was able to say.

What could he say, though…?

Lucy's vision would blank out for only seconds, before it focused back in. Something had over come the young child, something strong. Something gruesome— but what it was? She did not know. It felt as if some sort of uncontrollable force had came from her core, reaching out— prepared to stop all of it once and for all—

All the child was aware of—

—was that she had to get out and away from the mess she had caused. The death that followed her outburst,

Nearly an hour passed as the young horned one went at digging a small grave for her puppy, recovering it and placing a large stone over it as a marker. She would stand there for a while, just looking down at it.

"—Why do I have to be treated like this? Just because I'm a little different? It's not fair… It's not fair!" The child mutters, her voice now returning to the usual soft-spoken tone.

Eventually, the environment shifted as it showed Lucy digging a grave for the deceased puppy. The Doctor only wished he could hug the small child as she started to cry.

"Oh, Lucy." He said to himself. "If only you could understand. That's _not_ humanity. Those children were terrible…"

And then…

_Thump._

An object fell to the ground behind her, playing a peculiar song.

"Lilium." The Doctor murmured, as he looked on.

It would go on for a few moments, before a youth reached down, retrieving it. Him and the young girl turned murderer looked at each other in silence.

"Uhm… Are you alright?" He'd eventually speak up, eyeing the horned child.

Embarrassed by her staring, the young Diclonius replied softly.

"…I just thought it was a pretty song, that's all."

The boy smiled, replying, "Really—?" and then paused, taking a look at the bony protrusions coming from her temples. Before he could say anything, the girl would catch his staring, huffing and covering them.

"I bet you think they're disgusting, don't you?"

—On the contrary, the boy would rush forward and grab her shoulders, grinning, "No WAY! They're so cool! . . I'm jealous!"

All within moments, the Diclonius would be taken aback, eyes widening, cheeks flushing.

"My name is Kouta, we should play together sometime!"

The source of the lament had been discovered.

"…Was this why Lilium has a hold on you, Lucy…?"

The questions only kept coming, as the sight shifted into something different.

Once everything became clear once more on a much more pleasant image. Two children sitting in the rain together, a hat had been placed on young Lucy's head to cover up her horns. Something along the line of the boy believing that they made her sad. Perhaps covering them up would make her feel better?

They spoke together, smiling and laughing as the rain fell. Kouta happened to be a 'budding artist', sketching the landscape and different animals in his sketchbook.

The Doctor peered over Kouta's shoulder. He was very impressed by his work, too. "You've got the makings of a modern-day Van Gogh, my boy." He said, knowing full well the child couldn't hear him.

All the while, the music box remained open, playing the gentle tune between the two over, and over, and over again.

When evening was nearing, Kouta had to return home; of course, the little Diclonius understood, nodding.

"Let's play again some other time!" The boy insisted. Once again, an unfamiliar sense of joy went through the little one's heart, smiling ear to ear.

"Oh. . Alright!"

This would continue for several days, the two spending time together as the Diclonius came to understand what it was like to live happily. What it was like for somebody to value their existence.

—But all the while, every evening, little Lucy was required to perform… 'Necessary' evils in order to get by.

Each night, a family would be 'disposed' of, so that she had a place to sleep.

It was as if there was a small voice, muttering and reminding her of what to do. And the Diclonius was more than willing to obey.

Because she had Kouta to cheer her up.

The sight then shifted as it showed a house lit up in the evening. He could see Lucy standing in front of the door to the house, and opening it. The next thing the Doctor could hear was a family screaming and visceral explosions inside. He saw a window splattered with fresh blood, and the lights turned out.

The Doctor's eyes widened. "…Lucy? That couldn't have been you…"

The environment shifted.

On the fifth day, he would arrive a little later than usual, but she was happy nonetheless.

The sight shifted once again. This time, Lucy and Kouta were back together once again, as if nothing had happened.

This started to make the Doctor feel uneasy…

"—Uhm, Kouta…?"

The last day of their time together had been spent at a local zoo, where Lucy had the chance to look at all sorts of bizarre and stranger animals that she had never seen before, not even in books! The elephants and giraffes were some of her favorites, along with some of the slimy,scalyreptiles crawling about on their bellies.

A moment was taken, however, to allow the young girl to know that Kouta would be attending a festival in town the next day with his cousin, which was why he could not spend time with the pinkette.

When the day wrapped up, she wanted to ask a question that held importance for the strangest of reasons.

"Your cousin that you're going with, did you say it was a boy, or a girl?" Her voice did not hold much confidence, due to the fact that she expected the worst.

—This was when Kouta would make a dire mistake.

"Oh— it's a boy," he answered with fake reassurance; the horned child would be too relieved to notice the lie.

"Oh, that's great! Then, uhm— Then tomorrow, I'm going to come say goodbye at the train station," she replied, running off for the night.

Finally, once more, the environment would shift and change to Lucy standing in a crowded street; it appeared that she was impatient, and wanted to see her friend. But who wouldn't? She's a child, any youth would want to do that.

As she scouted the boy out in the crowd, Lucy would finally find Kouta— and his_ female_ cousin.

—Did he see her?

—No, she was far behind the crowd, good— she did not want her friend to see her shock.

"B-but… But why…?" Her voice fell.

And that was when the landscape of her mind could be seen once more. Lucy fell to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes. A hallucination of Kouta, standing there with a twisted expression, would utter.

"I would never fall for a girl, with horns growing out of her head," the apparition provoked.

"Th-then, then Kouta, why would you—-"

"I told you… I like looking at_ weird animals_."

That vision would vanish, as the horrible, macabre figures of her orphanage bullies appeared, once again tormenting the girl from the grave. Lucy couldn't take much more.

The Time Lord could see apparitions of everybody she came into contact with. Kouta and the three bullies. They taunted her, as if they didn't care for her. She was crying.

The Doctor went over to Lucy and knelt down next to her. His eyes looked down at her sullenly.

"A-alright! I can't take it anymore!" she cried out desperately, "No family, no friends, no home— I-I can't do this!"

As she cried and wailed and curled into herself, eventually the pit pat of feet would be heard, as one last figure approached the child, wrapped in bandages, limp and lithe. The way it moved— it was reminiscent of Lucy's adult form.

The Doctor immediately felt a chilling evil feeling coming from the Lucy look-a-like.

It would bend down, a hand patting the trembling girl. Turning around, Lucy's eyes widened in shock as the bandages fell. An exact copy of herself… But far more menacing, a hand held out in beckon. Her mouth widened into a wild grin, eyes full.

"As you can see… There is no room for people like us in this world. But… I have plenty of power that I can give you. Choose," the figure's voice was soothing, "a life alone, full of suffering and anxiety… Or… You can make the world… In _your_ vision, a home for yourself. It's that simple…"

The girl remained silent, bowing her head briefly.

"I'm sorry Kouta… I really liked you," she muttered through sniffles, reaching and grabbing the figure's hand, Kouta's hat falling off of her head.

Immediately, that menacing, overwhelmingly strength exerted itself as Lucy's vectors were released in full power, cutting down the ground limb from limb around her, standing there, not a single finger lifted.

"_… I'll kill all of you… Each and every one of you…_"

Meanwhile, Yuka, Kouta, and his little sister Kanae were already at the train station, unaware of everything that had happened. A rumor was spreading that it was a bomb— nobody would ever know of what truly happened.

When the family boarded the train, they remained there for a while, chatting among themselves until Kanae and Kouta got into a childish argument; but the little sister had brought up something that the boy would NEVER believe.

"I saw it! It was a girl with horns! Everywhere she went, somebody got killed!"

… Awaiting in the next cart, was the mentally cracked Diclonius.

It would not take long for an encounter to be triggered.

"…_ You're_… _A liar_…"

It happened so quickly, that the vision of the entire scene was almost corrupt; Kanae fell, and then the father.

A horrid shriek of terror, crying and desperation.

Kouta bounded forward, trying to grab onto Lucy—

"**STOP IT! PLEASE! NO MORE! NO MORE! STOP IT! STOP IT!**"

And then, everything went black once more.

The environment faded as he was back inside Lucy's mental landscape. It was dark. Very dark. Nothing but pitch black, except with Lucy herself spotlit.

His eyes widened. This was not possible. How could something like this happen to a mere child? And the people she killed? She killed a child's sister and father in front of him. He only hoped that boy was okay.

He fell to his knees, as he brought a hand to his temple.

It was as bad as the nightmare he had earlier. She _really was_ a force to be reckoned with. But surely, there was some good in her…?

"Lucy..." He said, looking at the spot lit young Diclonius. "I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry this happened to you."

Something good needed to happen to Lucy. The Doctor would ensure it by ANY means. It was time she found happiness.

Slowly, he picked himself up, and turned around.

He noticed the same girl who talked to the younger Lucy in the flashbacks.

This didn't appear to be a flashback, however…

With peaked curiosity, the Doctor gingerly leaned forward.

"Hello…?" He merely greeted, his eyes still widened. He didn't flash a toothy grin this time around. Something seemed wrong here.

Very wrong.

The apparition stood there, unmoving, the bandages still attached to her thin frame, but not as tightly wrung as they usually were. There was an object held between her hands; a helmet, cracked down the middle, half of it missing.

Eventually, after moments of stunning, bone chilling silence, the girl would speak up, her voice resonating through the entire landscape.

"_… Isn't it wonderful? How I'm no longer that weak outcast? I'm the one who is in control now… Even when I was confined to these shackles, I still reached out with my will, and vanquished whatever disgusting humans came close to me._"

She began to shamble forward with the exact movements that the Doctor would have seen when he first came face to face with the Diclonius the night prior.

"_Nobody is ever going to hurt me again. Especially not you._"

The voice was low— it was apathetic, and yet it carried possibly the strongest dose of hatred one could ever find in such a young individual.

"_You actually think I would trust somebody again? No… I'm going to change the world… And I will make sure that you are the very last one left. Maybe I will make your death quick, but that would not be fun at all._"

The Doctor's mouth opened slightly, as he began to back away.

"No." He said. "You're not Lucy. You're merely a personification of her hatred. You're one of the reasons she became this killer. She's not that."

He stared daggers at the girl who ambled forward. "You've plagued her. You filled her with so much hatred for only a few exceptions of humans. They are so much, _so much_ better than that. Those children… That was the dark side of humanity I've mentioned to Lucy when I first met her. Surely you heard that. They are capable of so many great things, and I've witnessed them first hand. Humans are a wonderful race, even if only a select few leave a lot to be desired. That's the case with _every other race_. And before you say different, I am not human. You look upon a Time Lord."

The Doctor then stood back firm, keeping his feet planted. "I'm not going to let you taint Lucy any further. I will not allow you to manipulate her to kill. I will _most certainly_ not allow you to kill every human on this planet."

His brow furrowed as his tone lowered, taking a sense of authority. "I am the Doctor." He said with conviction. "And you _will not_ kill me_. _I_ will _stop you."

"_Plagued her…? Oh… You naive man… Had I not accepted my destiny as the great herald of destruction, to bring the downfall of humans, they would have killed me first…_" Her eyes were wide, that of a maniac, teeth snaring into the expression that a predator would before pouncing onto prey.

"_Look at the way that humans crawl… All they are capable of doing is killing each other out of greed and hunger for physical and mental gain. Had I not come along… They would have wiped themselves out anyways._"

As if they were serpents, four vectors appeared from the Instinct's back, though in this landscape, they were visible to the naked eye.

A snicker followed the flash of a smirk on the young figure's face, "_Just what do you plan on fixing, Doctor? Do you honestly believe you will leave and turn me into a gentle creature, willing to sit at the feet of humans as their dog? I am not that pathetic…However… I sense that there is plenty for me to learn by tapping into that mind of yours. Eheh. Eheheh!_"

Slipping around, one of the vectors shot out as if it were striking a target, the fingertips of the appendage plunging into the Doctor's forehead, though no physical harm was given.

"_Careful… Do not move. All it takes is the movement of an artery within your brain… My lightest touch can end you._"

The Doctor's eyes widened in alert. The vector moved too fast for him to evade, and it stuck out of his forehead. He could see the transparent limb stretching all the way from the young apparition as the bandages slowly began to fall off of her face, showing her bulging eyes and predatory teeth.

"…You're mad." He whispered. "You're completely mad! Is that really what you believe? Had you not come along, humans would wipe themselves out completely? And yet, you say that _I'm_ the naïve one…"

He tried to keep his breathing controlled. He could sense the vector inside his brain, as if its fingers were _just barely_ pinching the artery. One little movement could trigger a Regeneration. He needed to think of a way out of this. And fast.

"You don't know humans as well as I do. I've experienced so many things from them, good and bad. Humans are capable of so many great things, and they have accomplished those things in the times I've been to. You've heard me talk of things of great wonder that they can do when I was talking to Lucy. You must believe me."

The Doctor raised a hand in front of him. "I can help you. It's _okay_ to be different. There's no reason to have this murderous misanthropic attitude. I've offered to help Lucy see humanity in a different light. Through my eyes. Surely, you'll be able to see it too."

He then pointed to his head. "Do you also believe that killing me will solve anything? Will it do nothing except satiate that bloodlust of yours?" He shook his head. "It won't, I tell you. If you remember, the TARDIS is in orbit right now. If you kill me now, the TARDIS will be adrift for who knows how long, with Lucy stranded on it. You and I both know we don't want that."

He grabbed his head with one of his hands. Something was seeming very wrong here. "Please. Let me help you. Mass genocide will not solve anything."

"_You are trying to talk yourself out of the inevitable… Whether it is now, or later on in the path, all of you are going to die at my hands… The Lucy that you know is a shell of what I used to be… A child with hope… Now we are strong, we are going to accomplish… So many great things…! Wonderful things…! And what you require…_"

The Instinct sat on the ground, a knee pulled up to her chest, grinning like a mad man's Cheshire. Her fingertips gripped at the leg, muttering to herself, words dripping and dropping, but unheard.

"_You require discipline…_"

Her neck bent in an unnatural position, one that you would find on roadkill, or an animal shot for sport.

"_Yes… You are a truly lonely man, are you not? You've the whole universe at your fingertips, plenty of people, but nothing is permanent with you, is it? Companions here and there, but nothing ever stays the same…I'm sure you've disappointed plenty of humans… And NON humans! That is the wonderful thing about you, your stretch is far more than just to the filth crawling on earth… You've earned yourself some enemies, haven't you…? H-huh… It's all right there… _"

Both hands reached, crawling up the Instinct's neck to her cheeks, fingers digging into the flesh, the corner of her mouth twitching. More vectors appeared, branching out as figures began to manifest— figures of the Doctor's psyche and memories. What they were exactly, could not be identified, until they were more solid.

The Doctor flicked his eyes about as the unknown figures began to take shape. The Instinct's vectors forming figures he knew not what.

Until he started to hear voices.

"…EXTERMINATE!"

His eyes widened. "Impossible…"

"EXTERMINATE!"

One of the figures started to take shape as the familiar cry began to rang out.

It was a Dalek.

"**EXTERMINATE!"**

"What are you doing…?" He asked. "How are you doing this?"

"**YOU WILL CEASE TALKING, DOCTOR!"** The Dalek said.

"Don't you begin to tell me what to do!" He shouted at the Dalek. "You're not real! You're an illusion!"

"On the contrary, Doctor." One familiar cybernetic voice said. "You may not listen to my Daleks, but you will listen to me."

Another figure began to take form. It was another enemy that he hadn't seen in ages.

"…Davros…?" He whispered. "What are you doing here…? You were killed on Skaro. How are you in Lucy's mind…?"

"Oh, Doctor. You are truly such a fool from the last time we met." Davros said. "I merely have to be in agreement with this little girl. To think, the Daleks alone could conquer mere galaxies, but one Diclonius can wipe out an entire planet's civilization?" Davros tapped his control console as a small smile formed on his deformed face. "Ingenious. That alone could be proven to be a great ally to the Daleks."

"No, Davros." He said. "Lucy would never do such a thing. Not for you or the Daleks."

Davros laughed. "Do you really believe that to be the case? Lucy is a Goddess of Destruction, second only to my own genius intellect. Together, we will crush those who oppose us, and conquer multiple planets! Our reach will extend to the far reaches of the galaxy! AND WITH OUR ALLIANCE, THE DALEKS WILL CONQUER THE UNIVERSE! EVERY ONE WILL FEAR THE NAME, DAVROS!"

"SHUT UP! I'LL STOP YOU IF IT COSTS MY LIFE, DAVROS!" The Doctor was rife with anger and fury.

Another form started to take shape, until it took to a form that he was familiar with from his first incarnation.

"Just like you, my dear Doctor." It said, a familiar bearded face taking shape. "So full of fury and anger, when really, we can make the universe a better place under a certain society."

The face fully came into view.

"_My_ society."

His eyes widened.

"The Master." He said. "…How did you…? What's going on here?"

"If you can't even kill Davros, Doctor, what makes you think that you can stop me?" The Master asked with a coy smile. "You've always known me best, and thwarted all of my plans. Why would you never kill me?"

"Because…" He started to grip his head. "It wouldn't be right. You can change. Please. You don't have to be this-"

"Silence, Doctor!" The Master snapped. "You WILL NOT BEGIN to tell me what I can or cannot do. I will defeat you, Doctor. And the universe will be ruled under my own leadership." He knelt down and patted the Doctor's shoulder. "And when I rule the universe, I will keep you as my prisoner. I will torture you, and kill you a dozen times over until you have no regenerations left."

He started to chuckle. "You've failed, Doctor. All of those people you let down and disappointed. Your friends will suffer, just as you will by my hand. Mark my words, Doctor! They will die!"

The Master then cackled menacingly, his laughs echoing across the mental landscape. The Doctor began to grip both sides of his head tightly, the vector still in his head. His eyes were scrunched shut in pain. It was becoming too much for him to bear.

* * *

Outside in Lucy's room, the Doctor began to shake as he tried to maintain the telepathic link. His breathing was ragged. Something had gone wrong.

"…Lucy…" He said, trying to keep his composure. "Something has entered my mind. What… what's going on…?"

* * *

As the fray within the mental landscape began to bloom into something of ill, evil intent, the Diclonius herself had spaced out into a deep, distant state, unable to directly react to what exactly was happening within her psyche. She heard terrible, terrible voices, not just the usual rambling and chiding of her Instinct, but several that Lucy had never encountered before hand.

And as the hallucinations that plagued and came upon the Doctor crashed and battered him, eventually they would all cease, the Instinct now standing right in front of the scarved man. Her face was that of renegade, sinful beast, straight from the deepest trenches of Hell itself. The vector that gripped her target's mind slipped away, instead using two of them to pin him down; she hovered over him, glancing down with that utterly horrible smirk of her's.

—In the distance, a distinct sound of a bell tower chime, followed by men's voices, chanting those all too familiar words.

_Os iusti meditabitur sapientiam…_

_Et lingua eius…_

_loquetur indicium._

"_I'm sorry… But I have to bring this meeting to an end… It's a pity, really. I thought we could be good friends_," she mused, mimicking the speaking pattern of Lucy herself, hands hung to the sides, "_… But you are suffering… Don't worry, I'll put you out of your misery_."

_Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem…_

_Quoniqm cum probates fuerit accipient coronam vitae_

Just as one of the tendril vectors reached around and yank at the Doctor's dominant arm, an abrupt sound would pierce the veil, interrupting the reign of terror.

"**Stop this! Stop it right now!**"

Running forward and speaking as loud as she could, was the elder Diclonius, now standing behind the childish Instinct. Her own weapons appeared, reaching out to try to stop the onslaught.

"_H-hhmm…H-hhmhmhm! What are you doing…? There is no point in trying to harm yourself. I'm going to die if I try to do this_," the shorter creature chided.

"No! I refuse this!" The Doctor cried. "I deny this reality!"

His arm was then snapped into two by the Instinct. The Doctor let out a blood curdling scream of pain.

"_I AM your reality, Doctor. So too, shall I be your death!"_

"Leave him alone!"

Lucy's vectors reached around and tore back one of the Instinct's legs, a distorted, horrific sound emanating from its maw.

"**YOU STUPID GIRL. YOU CANNOT TRUST ANYBODY, WHY HURT YOURSELF?**"

_Kyrie, fons bonitatis._

_Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison!_

The elder inhaled sharply, shouting, "This mind belongs to ME, not you!"

As her words attempted to get out, the Instinct's eyes widened, her jaw hanging open in a macabre manner, ripping off the Doctor's remaining arm.

"_Hehehehe... HAHAHAHAHAHA!" _The Instinct let out a beastly laugh, as if the devil had risen from the depths of hell. "_Look what you made me do, Lucy!"_

The Doctor continued screaming as the pain he felt became too much for him to bear.

"This isn't happening!" He shouted. "I deny this! It's not real! IT'S NOT REAL!"

Opening his eyes, he saw Lucy just behind the Instinct, trying to stop it.

"Doctor!"

"Lucy! Get out of here!" He shouted. "Lucy, please! Don't worry about me! Just get-"

His sentence was cut off, as he was bisected from the torso, his own spinal cord being severed within an instant.

* * *

It was a blur. He felt himself being rushed back into reality. As if he just got thrown out of Lucy's mind, the Doctor's head was arched backward, his hands gripping it as he screamed in pain. He lowered his head, looking at Lucy with widened eyes, terror and horror taking a stranglehold on the Time Lord's emotions.

His breathing was heavy, short, and ragged. His vision started to blur as his surroundings turned into a haze. Standing up, he stumbled across the room, before crashing into the door and planting his back on the corridor walls, gripping one of the roundels.

The Doctor tried to amble through the corridor for only a second, but fell to his knees. Trying to crawl, he attempted to shake the cobwebs out of his head. He need to heal his brain. He was encountering a synaptic overload.

He reached his hand across, _trying_ to crawl, but the amount of stress on his brain was too much. The Doctor then fell face first, unconscious.


	2. Part Two

**DOCTOR WHO AND THE DICLONIUS**

by Isaac "Izzy" Raimi and Mary Vitals

* * *

**PART TWO**

Everything eventually flushed out, returning to the real world; it seemed that the Diclonius had gotten a grip on her Instinct, fighting it back and locking away the killer, despite the shouting and taunting remaining afterwards. Such bitter and hateful words for a childish apparition. Dahlia eyes sharpened and then squinted, steadying herself on two feet— but as she did, the man she had just saved had already stumbled and shambled out of the room.

"D-Doctor!"

Lucy run after him, noticing the fragile state in which was he was in, not sure at all how to assist— all she knew was that the Instinct had taken a toll on his sanity, and he NEEDED help, NOW. A hand reached to check that his heart— rather, hearts, were beating. Panting and looking around in dire need, the beast stuttered and shouted incoherent things, looking for any source of help through the tears of guilt.

—K-9! She had forgotten about the robotronic, and was now harping and yelling for him.

"**K-9! HELP! HELP! PLEASE HELP!**"

Her pleads were that of her youthful past, not the hollow shell that she usually was— and was this all due to the fact that somebody she trusted was in harm's way?

There was plenty of blame upon herself behind it all, knowing that a fragment of herself had caused all of it, while she could barely do anything about it.

K-9 was making his rounds from the console room to Lucy's room, keeping guard in case something were to happen. He had left the console room about a few minutes after the Doctor did. As he rolled down the corridor, he heard shouting from a short distance.

"Mistress?"

He then accelerated, increasing his speed before coming upon Lucy and the collapsed Doctor.

"Mistress?" He asked. K-9 then rolled next to the Doctor. "Master?"

His ears swiveled, detecting that indeed, something was wrong with the Time Lord.

"Danger!" the dog said. "Possible mental health emergency. Synaptic overload has been detected in the Doctor's brain." His ears swiveled a bit more before stopping. "Neurological scans indicate that the Doctor is currently in a healing coma. It is near impossible to wake him."

He then rolled in front of Lucy and the Doctor as his ears swiveled again. "The Doctor spoke of a room that contains healing properties exclusive to Gallifreyans." K-9 said. "It has been located from my memory banks. Please, carry the Doctor. I shall escort you, Mistress."

With that, K-9 rolled ahead of the two, making for the special room in the TARDIS he mentioned.

Almost immediately, Lucy allowed all four of her vectors to reach down and carefully bring the Doctor up enough to be carried; she harbored enough discipline within the appendages that they could be used to move stuff, and not destroy the living cells that they touched. She followed the robotronic canine as quickly as she could, the sound of her heart thumping in the back of the Diclonius' mind.

_I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you done that._

"Should I do anything else?" The woman's voice shook, as if she were a child once more, naive and scared, not sure as to what was going on. If it were in fact possible to bring the scarved one out of this coma-like state, Lucy would be more than thankful. And from what it looked like, this room that K-9 had described earlier would probably do the trick.

Upon arrival, Lucy glanced down, awaiting direction.

"Negative, Mistress." K-9 responded. "There is nothing that we can do at this current time. The Doctor needs to recuperate, and we must make sure he is nursed to full health."

The robot's ears swiveled before stopping at a fork in the corridor. "This way, Mistress." The dog said before turning left. "The Doctor-Master uploaded an architectural configuration map of the TARDIS to my neural net some time before he activated me. I should be able to locate the room he mentioned without any trouble." They rounded another corner as they made the long journey to the room.

"He has referred to this room simply as the Zero Room." K-9 would explain. "Aside from its name, I possess insufficient data about its actual properties."

"Zero Room… Right," the Diclonius breathed, doing her best to calm her nerves. As the two spoke, she could practically feel the Instinct breathing down her neck, wishing to claw out and finish the job she had started. Those mangled limbs and eager teeth bearing— it was all unnerving.

Eyes glanced down, taking a look at the unmoving body of the Doctor; another sigh, and her vision returned forward, doing her best to not look at the uncomfortable, yet distantly damage expression on his face.

"—What exactly is going to happen once we drop him in there?"

K-9 continued to lead the Diclonius and his fallen master down the near infinite corridors leading to the Zero Room.

"Unsure at the moment, Mistress." K-9 responded promptly. "Too many variables are accounted for in this situation. It is uncertain the probability of the Doctor's healing and what properties the Zero Room will bestow upon him. However, we know one objective that must be completed. We must take him there for him to heal."

He stopped and swiveled his ears. "This way, Mistress." K-9 chirped, propelling forward again.

About a few minutes in, K-9 and Lucy found themselves in a large, open area of the TARDIS, with what appeared to be columns populating the room. Behind one of the columns lay a hidden set of doors.

Though, they weren't so hidden as K-9 detected them right off the bat.

"Through here, Mistress." K-9 said as he lead the Diclonius to the hidden entrance. "The Zero Room lies just beyond these doors."

A solemn nod as she passed through the doors, her vectors still keeping a grip on the unconscious man Lucy gulped softly, not sure what she was about to step into— but it was necessary, and the safety of her companion was the priority at this moment.

—A wide, odd room; the Diclonius had absolutely no idea what she was expecting, though it was evident that she had imagined it to be more, technical? It was barren! Light pink in appearance, with plenty of space for somebody, or several people, to fit in comfortably.

Glancing to and fro, she simply awaited for something, ANYTHING to trigger— her shoulder's sharpened, heart palpitating due to being nervous, along with the anxiety of the entire situation to fail in some way.

"Well, here's to it…"

K-9 rolled into the room with Lucy as she closed the doors behind her, her vectors still keeping a grip on the Doctor, as if he were levitating on an invisible gurney. The Zero Room was very quiet, almost deathly silent. The Doctor was sat down by Lucy, on the hard ground of the Zero Room. Many minutes had passed, in what seemed like an eternity, the Doctor still lying comatose, completely unmoving.

Until a familiar voice rang through the vast empty room.

"_Dear goodness, this floor is hard. Far too uncomfortable."_

The Doctor's body then began to levitate, his body elevating inches above the ground, until he had reached Lucy's chest and held the levitation there.

"_There we are. Much better."_

It was the Doctor's voice. As if he were projecting himself on a loudspeaker system, his calm baritone voice rang through the emptiness of the Zero Room.

"_I see that K-9 was able to escort you to the Zero Room without any trouble. Good job, K-9."_

"Affirmative." K-9 said, his wire tail wagging.

"_Now, don't be alarmed Lucy."_ The Time Lord projected. _"You are indeed hearing my voice. The Zero Room is able to enhance my telepathy beyond simple mind to mind communication. Hence why you can hear me plain as day in here. And yes, I am still comatose. But thankfully you and K-9 got me here just in time, so I still have a bit of energy to talk while I rest and recuperate."_

The Doctor paused, as if trying to sense Lucy's emotions. _"First thing is first, Lucy."_ He said. _"Are you alright?"_

A voice! A recognizable one, the DOCTOR's to be exact. It had felt like hours since the last time that Lucy heard that tone, though it had only been briefly— in fact, far less than that. However, through the panic and disturbance, this entire fiasco's timespan was unknown.

Dahlia eyes flickered around, trying to track down the source of the disembodied voice, only to realized that it simply echoed through the room.

"_I—-_"

Biting her lip gently, the beast inhaled, exhaled, and inhaled once more, trying to keep her emotions in check; it was similar to appearing upset in front of a family member. You never wished to do so, for they would share that same feeling.

Not to mention the guilt that still hung heavy in the air around Lucy.

"_I'm alright, don't be concerned about me_," she mutters, a frown apparent on the young woman's features, "_are _**you**_ alright…?_"

"_Since you got me to the Zero Room just in time, I will be."_ Said the Doctor. _"Had you not got me here, there's no telling how long I would be comatose. I just need to remain here until my dendrites heal."_

This entire time, the mutation was scolding herself mentally; how could she POSSIBLY have lost a grip for so long on the Instinct?! She was usually able to hold it back for a while— was she becoming stronger and more prominent?

It was terrifying.

And once again, it whispered softly in that disgusting voice.

_I'm always here…_

The Time Lord's body remained still as he levitated, his face as peaceful as if he were sleeping. _"My brain must have experienced a synaptic overload after that torturous episode with that… whoever that was. A Time Lord's brain functions a lot different from a human's. Even yours, Lucy. Our thought processes end up being quicker, which equals to more signals firing off. That truly did feel like an overload. After you saw what had happened to me, my own "psuedo-death" may have what triggered this healing coma. In any case, I should be back up after a certain amount of time."_

The Doctor paused as he sensed Lucy's emotions fluctuating. _"Please be upfront with me, Lucy."_ He projected. _"What was that I encountered in your mind?"_

The beast stepped back slightly, a hand slipping up to press against the side of her head; Lucy's brows furrowed, knowing very well just how malicious the Instinct could become whenever she was in a fragile situation as this. It was dire that the Diclonius prevented any sort of damage at this moment—

"It was **her**," she breathed, starting the explanation through clenched teeth. For a brief moment, several inhales and deep exhales followed before Lucy could stabilize herself enough to converse safely. The mutters and mumbles of the voice's psychotic desires, always threatening to rear, were gradually being watered down, "_the being I spoke about, my Instinct… She has been there since I was a young child, and she was the one who brought forth my power for the first time_."

"_Lucy. Lucy, please. Calm yourself."_ The Doctor projected. _"It's alright. Don't push yourself any further. I can see that this 'Instinct' can cause you mental trauma the longer you speak about it. Please, take a deep breath and calm down."_

The Doctor paused as he waited for Lucy to calm down and stabilize. No wonder she had those murderous emotions. This voice, this construct, this… 'Instinct' is what implants those feelings of bloodlust into her. Judging by her flashbacks, if this was what she endured since her childhood, then there's no telling what would happen if this beast were unleashed.

After it seemed that Lucy calmed herself, the Doctor spoke again. _"This will not be easy, Lucy. For the both of us. I've overcome challenges and obstacles in the past, but never when it involved the mental safety of my friends. You are strong, though, Lucy. Please believe me. You are not a monster. You never were. I've seen monsters during my time, and I've vanquished them when they refused to turn away from their ways of evil. I know that you can get through this. Even you can overcome this 'Instinct' that has plagued your mind."_

The Doctor's body continued to float as his mind projected from the walls of the Zero Room _"This 'Instinct' is the epitome of evil. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm going to help you. You'll have to trust me, though, Lucy. I know it's hasn't been easy for you to do so all of your life. But, if it will cost me a regeneration, or even my life, then so be it."_

He emphasized the next part.

"_I will help you, Lucy. But you'll have to trust me."_

It was a cocktail of emotion and judgment— how she LONGED to trust this man before her— but how could she entrust another, when Lucy was incapable of controlling _herself?_Here she stood, only fractions of time had separated the Doctor from a fatality within her psyche. Had she not pushed herself in enough time—

Had she been unable to combat that devilish intent within—

**The beast did not want to over think that**.

Hands gripped the sides of her head firmly, inhaling and exhaling like that of a panic attack victim. He was determined to make sure that Lucy did not believe herself to be a monster. Dead and DETERMINED to live to tell the tale of a Diclonius purifying her inner evil.

"_—How can I ever allow myself to be around you, knowing that at any moment I will lose control, sinking into turmoil, and possibly killing you?! That encounter— that last encounter— it was only within my head! What would you do if it had been manifested here!_"

Lucy's guilt was immense indeed.

And yet— yet as she wailed and cried, she could not completely lose hope in the possibility of a turn around…

Her eyes unfocused, lidding and staring at nothing.

_Even if humanity had been different… Still… I would not be able to prevent myself from shedding blood…_

As these thoughts flashed in her head, Lucy spoke up again, "It might be smart to let you rest here for a while— I need to set my mind straight— I should go back to my room."

"_I may be inclined to agree with you, Lucy."_ The Doctor projected. _"Your mind is far too fragile right now. It would be wise if you clear it during my healing time."_ After a pause, he spoke again. _"However, I'm not going to let you be alone. You've been alone for far too long. You need a friend. And K-9 is good enough for the task."_

K-9's head perked up. "What is it you require, Master?" The dog asked.

"_K-9, escort Lucy back to her room, and keep her company."_ Said the Doctor. _"If she needs to take her mind off further, show her the Library and the Swimming Pool. She needs to alleviate stress and get her mind off of that 'Instinct'."_

"Affirmative." K-9 responded.

"_One last thing, K-9."_ He said. _"Please talk to Lucy. Make conversation with her as best you can, without sounding dreary and boring. She doesn't need to hear about the formation of a neutron star."_

"Affirmative."

"_Now go, Lucy. Get dressed and clear your mind. I still must heal. And believe me... Everything will be alright."_ He tried his best to project happiness in his voice, to show Lucy that he wasn't out of it.

* * *

Lucy would make her way back to her room, finding herself standing before the vanity that was provided. The mirror allowed the Diclonius to stare into her core— and though only the outer shell of her psyche, her very being, was visible, all Lucy could think of was the hatred that had been fueled for so long.

—The violence gurgling within her stomach.

Each and every whisper and giggle coming from that horrid, _horrid_ Instinct.

Dead eyes simple remained as dainty fingers began to grab at clothing, slipping it over her shoulders.

Ribbons were slowly tied around ivory horns.

All of it was accompanied by an unsettling silence, before Lucy eventually spoke up to herself— or whoever else would listen in within the solitude of her room.

"If one day… If one day, I were given the opportunity to be reborn… To try life over, with a second chance, I would be a good girl… I wouldn't hurt anybody… _And then, maybe people would like me. I might look a little different, but I didn't want to hurt anybody…_"

Where a parent would come in and wipe away the tears from her eyes, Lucy tended to her own emotional wounds.

— Suddenly, she remembered that she was accompanied by the canine mechanism. Lucy turned, looking down at the artificial being.

"… Thank you for keeping me company."

K-9 looked up at Lucy, his red optics matching her downward gaze. "No thanks are necessary, Mistress." He said. "You are a companion of the Doctor-Master, and he has tasked me to watch over you for your own well-being." K-9's optics blinked. "My sensors indicate that you have high blood pressure, and past readouts indicated you were suffering from a heightened form of anxiety in the Zero Room. Are you functioning within normal perimeters, Mistress?"

Just thinking about high blood pressure reminded the Diclonius of the trivial tests and check-ups that the island scientists would conduct; they were routine, in order to make sure that the 'Queen' was in prime condition for research. It took Lucy just a brief moment to brush that thought off. K-9 was simply informing her of the current state, and that was all.

"It happens," she uttered lightly, exhaling through her nose. "I will be fine. The important matter is awaiting to see the condition of the Doctor. Ironic, how the one labeled with such a name is the one tending to wounds." Eyelashes blinked lightly, her vision eventually returning to normal, her mental state relaxing.

"It may come to a surprise to you, Mistress, but the Doctor-Master has been known for putting himself in harm's way many times beforehand. I possess his memory from his past incarnations, and you have not been the first he has been wounded over in order to protect."

K-9 rolled up to Lucy, as if he were trying to nuzzle her leg, moving his head up and down. The robot had knowledge as to how dogs acted to humans, and his computer thinking deduced that this would _hopefully_ alleviate Lucy's stress.

"Please note that I am here to assist you in any way possible, Mistress. I may only be a computer, but I will do what I can to make sure that you are in higher spirits." He rolled back, looking up at Lucy. "It is what the Doctor-Master would want, after all."

Delicate fingertips lightly tap the top of the metallic surface of K-9's head, a smile eventually creeping onto her facial features; reminded of her old canine companion— one without a name, but still held dear to the beast's heart. In a way, it helped her feel human. To be able to share normal, caring emotion.

K-9 assisted in simulating this sensation once again.

"…Thank you very much. That makes me feel much better," Lucy mused with a nod, allowing that bit of information to digest. So the Doctor was notorious for getting himself banged up for the sake of protecting a companion? One did not find many humanoid beings such as that with a genuine personality. And she had the privilege to be assisted by him.

"—I've a few questions though. He mentioned that he was from… A place called Gallifrey? What exactly is… 'Gallifrey'? Are there others like him?"

K-9 nodded to Lucy's question. "Affirmative. The Doctor is a part of a race of aliens that are known as the Time Lords. He is one of many others that reside on the planet Gallifrey."

His ears swiveled, accessing his data banks in retrieving information on the Doctor's homeworld. "Gallifrey is the home planet of the Time Lords, as well as other Gallifreyans, located in the constellation of Kasterborous. It's galactic coordinates are located at 10-00-11-00-00 by 00-02 from Galactic Zero Center. It is unknown as to how far the planet is located from your homeworld of Earth, Mistress, but Gallifrey is anywhere between 30,000 light years to 250 million light years away from Earth.

"—-Alien. And yet he appears just as human as any single one of the damned race walking this earth. Is this an ability that he harbors in order to blend in and work? Or are Gallifreyans simply humanoid by nature? And how exactly did they manage to figure out time travel— and— all of this…? It's puzzling… Very puzzling."

Lucy reclined to her stomach, laying on the unmade bed, an arm hanging off the side near K-9's head. Relaxing in this manner was something that she herself had not had the chance to do since being brought into this WHIRLWIND of a situation.

"They are simply the latter, Mistress." K-9 said. "Because they have lived for thousands and thousands of years, the Time Lords have existed long before humans have. It is simply a coincidence involving their genetic make up, Mistress."

His ears swiveled, as he was cross-referencing information regarding Gallifreyan time travel. "Time Travel by the Time Lords was created for use of exploration, as well as management of planets and events. However, the Time Lords have always followed the most important law of not becoming involved with important events. Interference is a rule that is punishable in the most extreme cases, Mistress."

He lowered his head down. "Unfortunately, it is what the Doctor-Master is known for, and has landed him in the most troubling situations, even on his home planet of Gallifrey."

—Why would a man with positive intention be punished for doing so? Of course, as a child, the Diclonius learned of certain government structure in which nations chose to not assist in wars and such in order to prevent making the situation even more heated. Could that be compared to the interference of the Doctor when it came to even her OWN scenario?

Lucy bites the tip of her tongue in thought, making an attempt at pursuing her proceeding comment, "If that is the case, then why continue? Does he truly hold a purpose of mending the broken around him? That is considered… _Good_… Why is it frowned upon…?"

It could very well give her a headache; one society scolds her for being inhumane and maiming those nearby, and the Gallifreyans wish not for the Time Lords to mettle with the affairs of others.

The dog's ears swiveled again to Lucy's question. "Insufficient Data, Mistress. The Doctor-Master is a being a free will, and I cannot formulate a response to your question. The Time Lords themselves, however, choose not to interfere because it would damage the current flow of time. It is how their society has always operated"

He looked up at Lucy, who was still lying on the bed, her eyes lidded as they set upon K-9. "Those questions would be best suited for the Doctor-Master, once he awakens, Mistress. I am certain that he would be happy in answering any inquiries that are about his values and ethics."

"…I see," she contends, fingertips lazily drumming against the steel exterior of the robotic companion; on that notion, Lucy would retain further questions of that nature for when the Doctor has experienced a full recovery. Shifting onto her elbows, strands of pink fall over her shoulders, "well, thank you for what you were able to provide."

For a brief moment, Lucy chuckled to herself in response to K-9's behavior; it seemed even his vast database did not harbor each and every answer to the pinkette's plethora of questions. Artificial intelligence has just as many limits as living, breathing individuals, she supposed.

K-9 nodded. "Affirmative." He responded. "I am here to assist, Mistress."

* * *

Back in the Zero Room, hours had passed since the Doctor's initial encounter with Lucy's Instinct. He was still resting as he could feel that his brain was starting to work in proper order. The Zero Room was always good in getting a good meditative spell, injury or no injury. Many thoughts raced through his head as he ran through the encounter with the Instinct.

The Instinct caught a glimpse into his mind. How was that even possible? There were times that a human would be only able to _see_ the Doctor's memories, but not manifest them in an attempt to drive one insane. She hand picked the Daleks, Davros and the Master, trying to drive him into the ground mentally. It was an evil act, bringing up past enemies for one's own agenda to gain the upper hand.

The question was, did Lucy experience those awful apparitions, too? No doubt she must have heard their voices. How could the Instinct do that to Lucy's mind? She had enough trouble as it was with her current situation, she didn't need to harbor the Doctor's own demons as well.

With a small sigh, the Doctor de-levitated himself, feeling his back make contact with the hard floor. Shooting his eyes open, he sat up.

"Lucy." he said to himself. "I hope she's okay..."

Without a second thought, he picked himself up, and walked out of the Zero Room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

It would be awkward to a degree, the immediate encounter post-tragedy. There were literally none who had ever crossed paths with the wicked Diclonius Instinct, and lived to tell the tale. The practically indestructible materials used to construct Lucy's enclosure on Kakuzawa Island even became twisted and obliterated upon contact from fully functional vectors.

Had the Doctor been incapable of regenerating, the dahlia eyed beast would be hovering over yet another bludgeoned victim. Not under her own free will, no! _No_… But it was still debatable, whether or not it was Lucy, or the beastly Instinct, that formed first within the psyche. Who truly held title to the body? How startling it was, that something lurking within the mental chambers had the capability of bringing forth powerful hallucinations of the visual and auditory—- even when itself was not occupying the mind that it had manipulated. A complication of split personas and psychosis posed as a problem as well.

_What sort of gruesome outcome could come about had Lucy not intervened at the last moment?_

Minute groans escape her lips in a sigh, propped up by elbows. All of these thoughts frothed to-and-fro as the Diclonius tried to come up with a reasoning for this. The Doctor had already forgiven her— but it would take quite some time before she forgave herself.

—Herself?! She was not even the one to dictate and perform those horrid actions! But at the same time, she was unable to prevent them— and for this reason, Lucy felt weak. Incapable.

"**Damn it all**."

Picking up pace, the Doctor made a beeline straight for Lucy's room, picking up his scarf ends so as to not trip him in his rush. The Zero Room was already quite a distance away from Lucy's room _and_ the console room. He was surprised that Lucy was able to find her way without a hitch.

Then he remembered. K-9 escorted her. Pity how post-healing thoughts seemed a bit scattered.

After a bit of frantic searching, he came across Lucy's door. Thinking for a bit, he wondered if she was still alright after their last encounter. She seemed a bit frail, mentally, at least. But there was only one way to make sure.

Knocking a few times, he opened the door, poking his head in. Clearing his throat, he flashed a toothy grin at the Diclonius.

"Do you mind if I come in?" He asked.

Similar to the behavior of an animal, her head lifts the moment a voice came and went through her ears; shifting from her stomach, Lucy sits up, her feet pressing onto the ground, hands keeping the Diclonius upright. It would take a brief second, but her mind would register that the voice belonged to the Doctor. And quickly following, she would process the question.

A quick nod— but the proceeding action would baffle ANY of the scientists who had spend several years studying the hateful nature that Diclonius bore towards humans.

Lucy stepped forward, skipping a few steps with a long stride and immediately, without a thought, exchanged a hug with the scarved one, with the attitude belong to that of a needy, exhausted child.

The Doctor laughed as Lucy lunged at him with a hug, her embrace almost squeezing the air out of him. His arms lifted after her attacking embrace, but found themselves embracing the young Diclonius.

"I take it you missed me, Lucy?" He mused, keeping the embrace as she held on tight. "How are you feeling? I hope K-9 provided you with adequate company."

A thick silence followed suit, the humanoid's grip tightening, and then completely falling limp, tears stinging the corners of her eyes once more. She would not allow them to fall, rather, she inhales sharply and shakes it off.

"That entire situation was close," Lucy reminded gently, her expression placid, "one moment longer, and you might not have made it out alive. But…" she exhales, "I'm relieved that you were able to make a full recovery. I believe that I owe you an explanation."

The Doctor put his hands on Lucy's shoulders as her grip loosened. "Come on, Lucy." He said. "Let's sit down."

Going over to the bed, Lucy seated herself on the bed, with the Doctor sitting in front of her on the small sofa. "Please be mindful, Lucy." He said. "I know talking about the Instinct brings about great stress on your mind and emotions. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Seating herself, her hands gently placed themselves into her lap, "… Had I not been able to push through the mental wall, you would be permanently damaged right now. It is my duty to explain all of this to you…"

Lucy glances over, beginning to speak slowly, "The Diclonii are all born with these Instinctual voices— but before I explain that, I must tell you the difference between myself, and the others… I'm what you would consider… The Original. Any other one of my kind walking the earth right now, came after me. Not directly FROM me, but because my vectors infected the bloodstream of humans that they had come into contact with. Any human who touches my vectors, will produce a Diclonius child, called a 'Silpelit'. They are sterile, and cannot produce on their own… But they still have the Instinct. It can first communicate with us as early as three years old… Many Silpelits claim the lives of their parents first."

Reaching over, the Lilium music box is picked up once more, giving Lucy something to look at while talking. Her social skills were still impaired, and so unless she had a subject to stare at, her sentences would become awkward.

"… As for me, I heard her for the first time when I was six. As you may have seen. She's always been there… Dormant."

The Doctor listened closely as she explained further about the Diclonii and the Instinct. They were each born with a voice like that, and no doubt drives them to murder. It certainly explained a lot, especially judging from Lucy's memories alone.

She even mentioned the virus that K-9 detected from her vectors. Anyone who made contact bred a Diclonius child. Someone must have used her vectors to carry that out with a much greater purpose.

"This Instinct. It's obviously your driving force to murder." He said. "I can see that you never wanted to, but it told you otherwise. It made you love it, and it tried to make you heartless. I know that you are not that, despite what it had told me earlier."

The Doctor thought for a moment, before looking into Lucy's eyes again. "Lucy. That Instinct..." He gripped on end of his scarf. "It saw my memories. It manifested clear images of my enemies from the past. It... it tried to use that to break me." He close his eyes. "They were horrible, horrible people, Lucy. Individuals, and even _alien races_ that have committed murder on a planetary scale."

He opened his eyes again. "Did you hear them, Lucy? Did the Instinct make you hear what they were saying to me?"

Seeing the Doctor is such a state was surprising, even to the Diclonius. He was usually carrying a carefree, harmonious disposition, and to witness him so troubled— well, it bothered Lucy. A solemn nod in response to his question.

"The entire time that you were able to probe into my memory, I had the ability to watch, but from a distance… Sort of similar to an out of body experience. I existed on that dreamlike plane that you saw when first coming across the Instinctual Voice. That is how I met her as well… When you began to combat her verbally, and the hallucinations were under her command, she fed off of my own energy in order to do so, hence my inability to intervene right then and there. Only when they vanished could I rear myself to step in and make an attempt at cutting her down."

A sigh.

"… I am terribly sorry, that you had to experience all of that… The prolonged isolation from society that I went through in the facility only strengthened her anger."

The Doctor leaned over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Please, Lucy. Don't think it was your fault. It was partially mine for getting involved in that incident. I should have pulled out of your mind the moment things took a turn for a worse." He chuckled a bit. "My curiosity always seems to land me into trouble."

"Curiosity did maim the cat," Lucy commented lightly to herself, not realized how humorous it would end up coming out, a sheepish smile flashing for a moment when she was comforted by his hand on her shoulder. It was almost as the beast had turned human for a moment.

He leaned back on the sofa, looking downward. "Perhaps I should give an explanation, as well. You deserve to know who those people were that the Instinct brought up."

"—Yes, that was my next question… Davros, Daleks, the Master, Gallifrey— all of this is so confusing to me, and K-9 could only provide so much in terms of information. I have a lot that I want to know, so that I am not wandering around ignorant to the situations at hand."

The Doctor nodded. "K-9 must have told you about Gallifrey, then." He said. "True, he holds a wealth of information, but I think it would be best if it was I who told you everything." He messed about with the curls of his hair, pushing his bangs back. "Where to begin?" He asked himself, sighing.

Looking downward, his eyes trailed back up to Lucy. "I'll start with the Daleks and Davros." He said, leaning forward and weaving his fingers together.

"That awful cylindrical organism that you saw is called a Dalek. They originated from the planet Skaro, and have been the worst threat that I have ever come across. They are a xenophobic race, and very dangerous. They've exterminated many planets, and conquered many galaxies. Whatever is not a Dalek, they hate. If it is not a Dalek, it will die."

He closed his eyes. "The man in the wheelchair that you saw was Davros. Davros was the creator of the Daleks, and I had the "pleasure" of meeting him. I was placed on Skaro by the Time Lords and tasked with bringing an end to the Daleks before they were even created, and witnessed Davros's devilish creation first hand." He sighed. "The first thing they did was wipe out the native Kaled race on Skaro, to make way for their own "superior" race."

He opened his eyes, recounting his adventure on Skaro years ago. He would never forget that moment, and it still haunted him. "There was an opportunity for me to completely erase the Daleks from history. To wipe them out for good. But..." He put his hands on his face, covering his eyes.

"I couldn't do it." He said softly. "I couldn't kill them."

He then told Lucy about the moment that changed everything. The moment that could have very well spelled victory.

* * *

"_Well!?" _Sarah Jane shouted_. "What are you waiting for?_

The Doctor stared at the two wires that he held. The wires that could change history forever. _"Just touch these two wires..."_ He said._ "And the Daleks are finished." _His breathing was ragged. _"Have I that right...?"_

"_To destroy the Daleks?" _Sarah Jane asked. _"You can't doubt it!"_

"_But I do!" _The Doctor protested. _"You see, some things could be better with the Daleks. Many future worlds will become allies just because of their fear of the Daleks!"_

Sarah Jane tried to coax him into it. _"B-But it isn't like that-"_

"_But the final responsibility is mine. And mine alone."_ He stared at the two wires, struggling to carry out with the task the Time Lords sent him for in the first place. _"Listen."_ He said. _"If someone who knew the future pointed out a child to you, and told you that that child would grow up totally evil, to be a ruthless dictator who would destroy millions of lives..." _He turned to Sarah. _"Could you then kill that child? _

Sarah Jane only shook her head frantically. _"We're talking about the Daleks, the most evil creatures ever invented. You must destroy them."_ She pressed. _"You must complete your mission for the Time Lords."_

"_Do I have the right?"_ He asked, showing the wires to Sarah. _"Simply touch one wire against the other and that's it. The Daleks cease to exist. Hundreds of millions of people, thousands of generations can live without fear, in peace, and never even know the word Dalek."_

"_Then why wait?"_ Sarah asked. _"If it was a disease or some sort of bacteria you were destroying, you wouldn't hesitate."_

"_But if I kill, wipe out a whole intelligent life form, then I become like them."_ His eyes widened, as he continued to stare at the wires. _"...I'd be no better than the Daleks!"_

"_Think of all the suffering there'll be if you don't do it."_ Sarah said.

* * *

The Doctor stared downward, after he finished his recount. "I never touched the two wires together. I had the perfect opportunity to wipe out the Daleks. But it was as I told Sarah. If I kill, I become no better than the monsters I've fought. And in not carrying out that task, I let the Daleks live, and they still continue to conquer many galaxies."

He closed his eyes. "I failed, Lucy." He said. "Most would consider me weak for not killing a monstrous creature, but if I did so, I would become that monster." The Time Lord sighed. "I still wondered if I had the right to do so..."

"…"

Listening to such a sorrowful tale being told, the Diclonius could not help but sympathize with her companion; he had a wide heart, and it was worn on his sleeve. And it was larger than that of most members of modern society. Anybody else she knew would blindly go and kill off that rising power, in the hopes of saving the lives of millions.

Was each life worth the same? Is a criminal valued just as a small child would be? Is this…

_Is this the reason why she, the Queen of Diclonii, was looked upon with acceptance by a complete stranger?_

That was the motive behind the Doctor reacting so strongly towards the claimed lives of those young children that Lucy had so ruthlessly taken. Instead of condemning her as a smudge upon society, she was embraced with open honesty, with the hopes of changing her for the better, knowing that deep inside, she held some sort of humanity within the chilled crypt of her heart.

She simulated the situation with her own, mentally. What if, in the past, the same exact conversation was held with Lucy's mother? What if he had been charged with killing the original Diclonius, in order to prevent all of the bloodshed and she and the Silpelits would cause in the future? Would he had shown the same mercy?

"… Just as you had said… When I had killed those young boys… You said that they could have grown into wonderful people… Perhaps, in the near future, those Daleks could somehow be brought to harmony with those around them; they could unite nations not just for the purpose of destroying them, but for the sake of something… _Better_… I understand what you mean now… Just because something is born with the purpose of bringing misfortune, does not mean that they are destined to keep such a path… Had you destroyed them, you may have altered the entire future as we know it… That is why you were unable to vanquish me as well… Upon crossing my path, you could have easily brought my life to an end… But you did not."

Lucy sighed thoughtfully, "I do not believe that you failed, Doctor… You did what was meant to happen… Instead of blindly eliminating something…_ Rather, you had hope… Maybe you did not realize that in the heat of the moment, but deep down, you believe that any living being can change for the better… Doing the right thing often does not reap benefitsimmediately… Hence why you felt that you had failed… But there will be a result due to your choice in the future._"

The beast stared into nothing, as she began to think of her own brash actions— she killed Kanae and Kouta's father, because she only felt rage towards them. What would have been the result, had she spared those two lives?

The Doctor looked up as his melancholy look faded. His smile was faint, but it was there. It seemed that Lucy was starting to realize how precious life was, even when he spared the Daleks on Skaro. He then recalled to what he said to Sarah the moment they left Skaro and arrived on Space Station Nerva again.

* * *

"_Failed? No, not really, Sarah. You see, I know that although the Daleks will create havoc and destruction for millions of years, I know also that out of their evil must come something good."_

* * *

He had forgotten that he had said that, although he still carried the guilt of letting the Daleks live. But to think... Lucy, a girl who had previously only spilled bloodshed out of spite and rage, understood the Doctor's dilemma and brought forth rationality towards the actions he made those years ago.

She understood. That was the main thing. And it warmed both of his hearts that she could get it. She really wasn't heartless.

"That means a lot, Lucy. More than you know." The Doctor finally said, digesting the words of the Diclonius. "Oftentimes, I still wondered if it was the right thing to do. But you just reassured me." He bowed his head for a moment in respect, as a way of representing the Japanese culture where Lucy held from. "Thank you, Lucy."

Taking notice of the traditional gesture that he had performed earned a light chuckle from the throat of the beast. When was the last time that she had an honest laugh? One that was not twisted and driven by madness during a kill? Quite some time. As if she were gradually growing from a chrysalis, Lucy was beginning to notice changes within herself. And if it continued as so, perhaps… Perhaps the beast would be quelled.

"You have a bit to go before you are recognized at tea ceremonies, but the gesture is appreciated," Lucy mentioned with a casual smile. She had seen many a traveler make an attempt at Japanese custom, and each incident earned the Diclonius some sort of amusement.

—But most importantly, Lucy was relieved that, for the first time in her entire existence, she had left a dire situation without a permanent scar. She had been able to help fix the scenario, and not simply walk away with another casualty.

The Doctor could only smile as the both of them shared a small laugh with each other. After a bit of reflective silence, the Doctor leaned back and looked at her. "I suppose I should also tell you about the Master."

He exhausted a sigh. "Where to start with him?" He asked himself rhetorically. "The Master is a renegade Time Lord, much like myself. Unfortunately, he is the quintessence of evil, and has threatened Earth quite a few times during my third incarnation."

The Doctor looked to the side as he recounted the Master. "He and I have had a history together too. You could even say we were close friends at one point in time. However, something happened to turn him into this evil menace I know not what. But I've stopped him more times than I care to mention."

The Time Lord looked at Lucy. "Back in the early 1970s, when I was exiled on Earth, it seemed that the Master found me. Ever since then, he had attempted to wreak havoc on Earth and cause as much anarchy as possible. He was the instigator of at least two invasions back on Earth. The invasion of the Autons, and the Sea Devils, both at least a few years apart from each other."

He then thought of one of his returns to Gallifrey. "Not long after I had dropped off Sarah Jane when I received the call from the Time Lords, the Master struck again on Gallifrey. This time, assassinating the ruler of my planet, the Lord President, and framing me for it in the process."

He brushed his bangs back as he recalled that particular incident with the Deadly Assassin, former Time Lord Chancellor Goth. The Doctor recounted the events to Lucy from that particular time on Gallifrey. The physically taxing fights between Goth and the Doctor, the Doctor almost drowning in the swamp as they fought within the Matrix, and taking out the Master himself after so much destruction was caused at the Capitol, many lives being claimed in the process.

"The Master is very dangerous, Lucy." The Doctor said. "The fact that your Instinct brought him about in order to break me was a rather frightening scenario." He looked her in the eyes as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"He is the very definition of a monster. Lacking any sympathy for other people and other races, even his own. Believe me when I say that you are not a monster, Lucy. Especially since I've seen monsters long before meeting you."

Admittedly, it took a lot for the Diclonius to experience an inkling of unnerve or worry, but something about this 'Master' figure… Something did not settle correctly in her stomach. Lucy had crossed many humans that she deemed 'evil'. She has watched them slay one another, witnessed the sins that humanity had committed in the name of their own selfish needs— but as a collective, they always had looked upon the Diclonii as entities of absolute dread.

—The way that this man was spoken of, concerning his deception and thirst for chaos, the desire to wreck destruction and bring about a new order of existence— it left Lucy unsettled, because what she saw, was a paradox of her own actions. What made HER any different? She was a paragon, a symbol of relinquishing the power from humans, and handing it over to her own kind. Leaving behind Kouta and any sort of hope for being accepted, she had decided to create her OWN world.

What made her any less horrible than the Master?

However, hearing that this monarch of evil had some sort of personal vendetta on the Doctor only lead her to believe that he was a greedy, selfish individual bent on holding the universe in his own two hands. Brushing aside the comparisons, Lucy found herself intimidated by the thought of crossing paths with this man. Indeed, the Master sounded incredibly dangerous. Had _HE_ found the Diclonius before the Doctor did…

Lucy would rather not imagine that.

"You have absolutely no idea as to what changed him so radically? It must have been something drastic— especially since you are painting him to be your arch-enemy… A REAL monster, as you put it… Do you believe he would ever change? Or is he a lost cause? There are plenty of people who may fall into that second category… Anybody who would frame an innocent person as a murderer is extremely low… Even I can see that."

The Doctor could only lie back on the sofa and shake his head. "I doubt he would ever change, Lucy." He said. "Unlike you, where you still have human qualities, the Master is a Time Lord. Time Lords, when realizing how much power that they have over lesser races, may tend to think themselves as something greater." He shrugged a bit. "Granted, I think of myself as quite marvelous, and have greater intelligence than you do, but I intend on using that for something good. Something constructive."

He gestured to Lucy. "You may have committed atrocities and murder, Lucy. I won't deny that. But you are starting to learn that life can be treasured, and that it truly can be precious. I can see that in your eyes. You were merely a lost child, who thought that she would find solace in a pool of blood. When that is not the case. You may not realize it, but you are changing."

He gazed downward. "Unfortunately, the Master is not like you. He can't see the good in all life as I can. He is a power-hungry megalomaniac, with no regard for anyone or anything, except for his own personal gain."

The Doctor then gazed back at Lucy. "And if the Master ever strikes again, I _will_ stop him. You can count on that."

"He must be elusive, because I am sure that if he were easy to track down, you would have already dealt with the man, and gotten rid of him," Lucy suggested. At least, that is what she could deduce from what he was saying. Taking from the Doctor's usual actions, she doubted that he would allow such a dangerous individual wander the universe unattended if he had ANY sort of control over it.

"I have complete faith in those words, but will you be able to achieve that on your own…? You hold immense power, and have practically an entire universe at your disposal, would it not be wise to have others assist you in that goal…? Two Time Lords could practically cancel each other out if that was the case…_Unless you have some sort of upper hand that you have not mentioned?_"

The Doctor leaned forward as he thought about Lucy's question. How _would _he stop the Master? As Lucy said, he was very elusive, and unlike the Doctor, has a working chameleon circuit in his TARDIS. But his body was in a state of decay since the last time they met, and no doubt was still recuperating after that fall from their previous encounter on Gallifrey.

"An upper hand..." He said to himself, echoing Lucy's words. He only shook his head. "I was lucky to escape with my life on Gallifrey, Lucy. Against a human or other alien threat, I could deduce things rather quickly. The Master, however, is a whole other matter. He's unlike anything you would ever face. Not even the Daleks or Cybermen are as clever as him."

He sighed. "I don't know Lucy. When it comes to the Master, he is just about my equal. So I'm not sure how to answer that question." He shook his head. "I really don't know."

"Perhaps over thinking all of this is only making matters worse… It has been a long few days since we first met, and there's already been enough turmoil and controversy to last a decade," Lucy mentioned, brushing her thumbs against the edges of the music box in hand, eventually closing it shut.

She stood, stretching her arms lightly, "I am feeling a little claustrophobic, why don't we do something to get our minds off of all of this…? Surly it is welcome after all of this doom and gloom."

It was not often that Lucy even offered to participate in trivial, light-hearted things. But it was the least she could do, seeing that she almost got her companion killed. BOTH of them deserved some sort of down time.

The Doctor nodded absentmindedly, as Lucy mentioned the idea of doing something that didn't involve the talk of bloodshed, Instincts, and megalomaniacs. As a few seconds have passed, his eyebrows perked as he thought of something.

Looking up at the Diclonius, his lips formed a wide toothy grin. "Tell me, Lucy." He said. "Have you ever learned how to ride a bike?"

A memory crosses Lucy's mind.

* * *

_"Why not? Can't you take Nyu with you to the grocery store, Yuka?" __Kouta questioned, looking up from his chore of cleaning the floors of the inn._

_"If I do, she'll have to ride on a second bicycle, I can't fit two people AND bags of groceries on one!"_

_"—Does Nyu even know how to ride one…?"_

_The next few hours, Kouta would attempt at teaching the childish one how to peddle and stay balanced on the wheeled contraption, but it did not yield any sort of results, aside from some banged up knees and a cut on Nyu's arm when she fell and crashed into the side of a tree. It was safe to assume that the wide-eyed crybaby would not want to make an attempt at riding a bike again._

* * *

—As for Lucy, she had tried a few times in her childhood, but never mastered the practice. Blinking, the Diclonius spoke up.

"Actually, I never have."

The Doctor's grin grew wider as he shot up from the sofa, as if there were no sadness within him prior. Taking the Diclonius's small hand into his, he tugged heralongside with him.

"Come on!" He said. "I know of something perfect that we can do!" With that, he rushed outside of Lucy's bedroom, the horned girl in tow as they both made for the console room.

K-9, who had been in the room for who knows how long, followed them as they rushed down the corridor.

—-! Whisked away, Lucy kept on her feet as she was pulled from her bedroom, assuming that they would probably be taken somewhere so that she could practice biking— however that would go. Admittedly, keeping balance was something that the Diclonius struggled with, especially in situations such as this. Hence, the reason why her vectors were so useful.

"I-I'm coming I'm coming!"

As they ran down the hall, the Doctor rammed himself into the door to the console room, swinging it open as he made a slight "Oof!" after hitting the door. Letting go of Lucy's hand, he immediately went to work on the console to input a destination on Earth.

"First... we need a good countryside. We can't go to Satoyama after last night, so we need something different. Let's see..." He then pulled up a map of the world on one of the monitors, and contemplated a destination. "Japan certainly has a few great countrysides, but..." He flashed a toothy grin. "I think you would love the Yorkshire countryside, Lucy. Lots of open spaces, and beautiful scenery to go with it."

The Doctor then input the coordinates to Yorkshire, England before flipping the lever, setting their destination. "Now, don't go anywhere and try not to touch anything, Lucy." He said, with his arms in front of him as he made for the hallway door. "I'll be right back. Stay there!"

With that, he ran off into the hallway, the scarf ends getting stuck in the door as it closed behind him. The tasseled ends then slipped into the other side of the door, with a muffled cough from the Doctor.

Standing in the room, with a nod, she obeyed the Doctor's orders to not touch anything— as if she would. Technology was never the Diclonius's strong suit, especially that of an alien individual. Knowing very well, she could accidentally launch herself years into the future, or past, by accident. Instead, she would keep busy by looking and studying at the map of the world.

—They never had one of these in the orphanage! Just a simple map out of Japan, and it's neighboring countries— which, she pointed out to herself with ease.

The world… It was so big! Japan, it was tiny to some of the other countries that she looked upon— and if the Earth was this large, what about the solar system? And the Milky Way— dare she imagine, the universe!

And the Doctor had traveled practically EVERYWHERE!

Lucy chewed on her own lip in thought, eyes gliding across the detailed map— maybe, she would have better luck, outside of her Japanese home. Maybe the rest of the world had better humans.

* * *

Walking down the hallway, the Doctor had produced two bicycles from one of the rooms in the TARDIS. Both of the bikes were cruisers, with one of them having a black paint-job, the other having a slight pink hue to it. The Doctor smiled to himself as he thought of his previous adventures with Sarah Jane, and the few bike rides that they got to go on during the few quiet times they traveled when they weren't fighting threats to the galaxy. They had a few nice cruises, and Sarah Jane even held on to the Doctor's scarf as they trekked on their bikes.

Pushing the door open with his foot, the Doctor wheeled the two bikes into the console room. "Well, looks like you'll learn how to ride a bike after all, Lucy." He said with a toothy grin.

She could not help but stifle a chuckle, giving a crooked, but amused smile. _Oh, this would be rather interesting_. Lucy herself had never been to Yorkshire, but, knowing the Doctor's taste, it was probably quite the sight to see. Not only that, getting away from Japan would be excellent. The stigma of the land would be nonexistent, and the Diclonius would be able to relax.

"It almost matches my hair," she voices quietly, amused by the shade of pink.

The Doctor looked at the bike and then at Lucy's hair. "You think so?" He asked. "I honestly have had this bike for quite a while." He then flipped the kickstands down on both of the bikes, as he heard a ding come from the Time Rotor as it stopped. The Doctor checked the scanner.

"Looks like we've landed in Yorkshire, Lucy." He said. "About 12:45 in the afternoon, it seems. We'll have plenty of time to cruise around." He then went over to the stand and grabbed his red frock coat and hat, adjusting his scarf over the coat. Setting the hat on his head, he went over to Lucy, inspecting the ribbons tied around her horns. "Looks like you should be fine, Lucy." He said. "There aren't a lot of people in the countryside of Yorkshire, so I doubt anyone would notice your horns unless they were up close and personal.

Smiling with relief, and in triumph, both hands reached up, removing the little blue ribbons off of her horns, allowing them to drift onto the ground forgotten. When was the last time Lucy had the privilege to walk around without covering up her head? More than likely, back when she was still among the other orphans, where the horns were simply thought to be the result of some sort of birth defect.

Flipping the door lever, the Doctor exposed the TARDIS's blue exterior doors. He turned to Lucy, his grin still persistent. "Shall we, Lucy?"

"Yes, we shall," Lucy hummed in a laid back tone.

The two filed out of the TARDIS, a gust of wind catching whisps of pink hair— the Doctor had been correct! Yorkshire was gorgeous; wide, sweeping, endless fields of ever-grand green. The clouds, themselves, were to the deep blue sky, as earrings would be to a woman: a lovely accessory to an already pleasing sight.

The Doctor rolled the two bikes out of the TARDIS, bringing them to a stop before closing both doors and locking. He turned away from the Police Box and brought in a deep breath.

It was a sight to behold. Yorkshire had perfect weather, and there were barely any bystanders. They were in one of the more rural, deserted areas, it seemed. The TARDIS just on the side of a narrow dirt road, most likely used for walking paths or even bikes. So it was prime for a place for Lucy to get some fresh air for her horns.

"You see, Lucy?" He asked, putting an arm around the Diclonius. "What did I tell you? Is this not the most beautiful scene that you've ever laid eyes on?" The Doctor smiled as he looked at Lucy. "Truly, you must be understanding why I like this planet so much."

Riding a bike was a talent that Lucy herself did not have on top of her accomplishments list, but, being able to participate in a fun-and-fancy-free activity made it easier for the Diclonius breath— to realize that not every single event would end in a dire, horrible result.

Looking at the murderer, you would never make the assumption that she had laid a single hand on other for the sake of harm. Her eyes fluttered shut, just to take in the noises that the natural environment around Lucy could hear. In fact, getting a look at the emotion on her face would be enough to mirror that of her childish past.

"Yeah…"

* * *

_"WOW! IT'S SO COOL! I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE!"_

* * *

"... I've never seen a view so lovely._"_

The Doctor closed his eyes as well as he took in the beautiful sight of Yorkshire. He and Lucy just stood there in meditative silence as the both of them enjoyed the peace and quiet after the turmoil that they both experienced over a twenty four hour period.

Taking a deep breath, he walked away from Lucy, and stood next to the pink bike. "Well, what say we ride, eh?"

Nodding, Lucy alloted a brief 'hmmmmmm', taking a good look at the contraption known as a 'bicycle'. The best way to execute this would to sit on the bike seat, and keep herself balanced without that kick stand up— thought, she was almost certain that it would not work out that way, leaving herself on the ground if sitting in an incorrect fashion.

And so, nearly the very moment that the Diclonius mounted the pink bicycle, she sat there for a brief second, wobbling to and fro— prepared to fall, her eyes widened, biting her bottom lip— and then, nothing! To the naked eye, it would appear that Lucy was indeed balancing. Feet touching the pedals, gradually pushing them and sending herself at least three meters forward. It looked like she had the basic concept!

—-Upon further inspection, however, minute, barely visible hand prints could be seen in the dirt on either side of the bicycle, resulting from two vectors pressing into the ground.

A little cheater, she was.

The Doctor smiled as Lucy mounted the bike, as she was trying to balance herself on the vehicle. He noticed that she gingerly kicked the kickstand up, and took off at a ginger pace.

"That's it, Lucy!" The Doctor cheered. "You're doing very well for your first time!"

He followed the Diclonius as she peddled a little slower before coming to a stop. "That was wonderful, Lucy. I had no idea that you would be a natural. You know, I-" He then stopped as he looked down at his feet. A few inches from his feet were very distinct handprints. He saw a few more right next to Lucy as she stood on the bike.

Crouching down, he looked at Lucy, eyes widened. "Lucy..." He said, pointing to the hand print. "Don't lie. I know that this was you."

—-Busted!

A sheepish expression was exchanged from Lucy, a little too unsure on how to reply to that. Just as a young child would respond to being caught by a parental figure.

"… At least I didn't fall?"

With a pink face, the vector was used once more to help her get off of the bike, walking back over to the Doctor with the wheeled contraption.

"Alright— Let's try again… But this time, I will not cheat."

The Doctor stood in front of Lucy as she mounted her bike again. "Don't worry, Lucy." He said. "No one gets it right the first time."

He then went by her side, and held the handlebars with her. "You see, riding is one thing, but maintaining balance is another. You can't fight the bike. You have to work with it, and maintain a unity with its balance. The moment you learn that, then you'll just have to master speed."

"Balance isn't exactly my strong suit," she'd admit, keeping an eye on the Doctor's hands; Lucy's feet were planted firmly against the pedals, knees just shaky enough to give her the appearance of a nervous first timer.

The Time Lord smiled. "Come on. I'll help you maintain balance. Then I'll let you take off."

"So you're—- Just going to push me and hope for the best?" Lucy questioned with almost surprised eyes— oh WHY was she so nervous about such a tiny little bicycle ride?

"Don't worry, Lucy." The Doctor reassured her. "Just trust me. As soon as I let you go, start peddling."

As soon as Lucy mounted the bike seat, the Doctor began to slowly push her, and slowly gained speed. After a short run, he let go of Lucy's handlebars.

"Okay, Lucy! Peddle!"

Gulping, the Diclonius held onto the handle bars with an intense grip, swaying to the side in the lightest, then quickly straightening out. Looking up ahead, she would peddle— and peddle—- and peddle. And before she realized it, Lucy had managed to get ahead quite well!

"I-I did it! Ah! Ahah!"

Turning her head, Lucy went to call out and mention her success— but looking back would result in crashing into a tree.

A short lived success.

The Doctor's eyes widened as he witnessed Lucy crashing and burning at the tree. He then ran full speed, his scarf ends flowing in the wind, and reached the crash site.

Lucy was on the ground, feeling her rump as she grunted in pain. "Are you okay, Lucy?" He asked, crouching to her level. "That seemed rather painful." He couldn't help but chuckle, but failed to hold back a good laugh. "However..." He said, still chuckling. "I probably should have mentioned that it would be best to keep your eyes forward."

"For a moment there, I forgot that I had every damned ability to stop myself," Lucy muttered, rubbing the back of her neck— yes, the fact that her vectors could have easily prevented the crash had not crossed her mind at all, mostly due to wanting to NOT make this just another easy task.

"One more go, and this time." she starts, standing up and brushing the dirt off of her knees, "I don't plan on colliding with a piece of foliage."

Picking the bike up again, Lucy wobbled to get onto it the way a newborn calf struggles to walk.

"You'll get it, Lucy. It's quite easy. Just maintain your balance."

The Doctor helped Lucy mount her bike again, as she wobbled trying get her foot on one of the peddles. "Alright. Here we go!"

He then began to push Lucy with the handlebars as she started to peddle. After enough speed, he let go of the handlebars again. "Now start peddling Lucy! And keep your eyes forward!"

This trial would be different, and she made sure of it! Staring forward and pushing her elbows out to keep her core balanced, both feet began to move the pedals. Faster, faster, and faster— once let go, Lucy did not even notice that she had been pedaling by herself for some time!

With a wide grin, Lucy bolted forward, riding for a few meters before letting a vector snap out and stop her— she hadn't gotten used to the speed yet, nor the concept of stopping with a foot. But she did it! And without any medium of cheating.

The Doctor's smile became the widest he'd ever known as Lucy took to riding her bike by herself. Turning to his own bike, he mounted and took off pedaling after Lucy. After closing some distance between the two, he noticed that she had stopped herself, her feet still on the pedals.

That silly girl. She was using her vectors to balance again, wasn't she?

The Doctor only shook his head. "Aside from your impressive balancing act right now, you did fantastic! How do you feel about riding your first bike, Lucy?"

"If I put one of my feet down, I'd obviously fall," she touts in a defensive manner. Not one of annoyance— more so stating the only answer that she had to offer. After all, that was not the important part. What HAPPENED to be was that Lucy had managed to utilize an object that she viewed to be nearly impossible in her childhood!

* * *

_"H-Hey! Wait up!" __The little one watched several of her classmates walking to the opposite end of the playground, beginning to mount their bicycles. Kaede was one of the few children who had no talent when it came to cycling, and so it left her out of some of the most fun summertime activities._

_"Kaede, if you can't ride your bike, then you have to go inside and wait until everybody else is done." __An adult stated, patting the girl on the back of her head to signal her to turn around and leave._

* * *

"—-It was great," Lucy grins.

The Doctor returned the Diclonius's grin. "Good! Now that you've had a bit of experience, what say we take a ride around the country?"

He then stretched his hand out, presenting the scenery to Lucy. "There has been so much for you to discover, and you've only known the dark depths of the prison that you called your past. There are many great things out there, Lucy. Many worlds, and many experiences beyond your imagination. While you may have been in a dark place for so long, you've yet to realize that just around the corner..." He looked at Lucy, his teeth showing prominently. "...Your cure for hatred could very well be waiting for you."

He then pointed to Lucy's smile. "And I can see that you may have found it."

Scanning over the environment, Lucy took another look at the complex backdrop that they had been surrounded by— in a way, it reminded her of a much larger, open variant of her own home of Kamakura. The rolling hills, lush emerald trees— the tall grass and babbling sounds of rivers and creeks. Without the presence of humanity, Lucy had to admit that the world held a chaste sort of beauty— a similar appearance of a well dressed woman: elegant and fluid.

The words spoken by the Doctor were very true. An appreciation for the world was gradually growing within the gut of the Diclonius— gradually, but it was there.

The Doctor could see that Lucy was taking in the scenery once again. Where before, she looked upon the world with nothing but disgust and hatred.

Yet now, she had a new sense of wonder. Something one would not expect out of a mass murderer.

There was more for them to see. Lucy's journey has just begun.

The Doctor then rode ahead of the Diclonius. "Come on, Lucy!" He called out. "There's plenty more for us to discover, and the day is still young!"

With a surprised lurch, Lucy's vectors pulled back in order for the bicycle to move forward— no, they would not be utilized to propel herself, their purpose would only be for the sake of a kick stand.

But never mind that.

Jolting ahead, the Diclonius had called something out along the lines of 'Okay!', though the words would be lost among the rustling of foliage and natural echos of wildlife within the brush. She didn't feel up to turning this into a race, and so Lucy instead kept back by a few feet, following the Doctor as a duckling would it's siblings.

The Doctor slowed a bit so that Lucy could catch up to him. He didn't intend on leaving her in the dust. This was a leisurely ride, after all.

After a bit of time riding on the countryside rode, the Doctor stretched his arms out as he rode side by side with Lucy. "Now, this is the life, isn't it?" He said. "Wind in your hair, and the cool breeze hitting your brow. You certainly never got something like this, did you, Lucy?"

The Doctor then thought back to something fun he would do with Sarah on one or two rides. Using one hand to hold the handlebars, he uncoiled the scarf from his neck, and adjusted it so that one of the ends to didn't spill over and tangle into the front wheel. He then took the opposite end of the scarf and tossed it over Lucy's shoulders, the opposite tasseled end landing perfectly.

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin at his little game. "I use to do this with Sarah." He said, turning his head to keep his eyes forward. "I would always chain us together with my scarf during our rides. How does my scarf feel, Lucy?"

Once the two had managed to catch up and cycle next to each other, a quaint smile and nod followed suit from Lucy, "There were days that I would walk alone by myself along the hiking paths in Kamakura's mountains, especially when I did not feel up to staying inside when living at the orphanage. And I remember now, whenever I was surrounded by that natural environment, there was a sort of… Peace within me. Clouded and mucked with anger, I forgot about those times. But I'm happy to recall them now."

A few moments of quiet passed, before the sudden drop of fabric on her shoulders— hmh? What was the Doctor doing? Well, it was apparent now that he was sharing the object with her— the wind did chill her neck a bit, and the fabric felt warm and plush against her skin.

"That's very kind of you. It feels comfortable." the Diclonius commented calmly in thanks.

The Doctor's smile was persistent as Lucy's icy lairs began to melt, the human side of her starting to show. The poor girl probably had not smiled in some time, except when decimating a victim. It warmed the Doctor's hearts to see a genuine smile on her lips.

What took him by surprise, however, was that the rest of his scarf was lifted from the back of his neck. He could see that the end was now floating in the air, and the length was being rearranged around Lucy's shoulders. The next thing he saw, was that Lucy had coiled the scarf around her own neck, the ends being tossed over by what seemed to be her vectors over her shoulder. She was short, so she probably didn't want to trip.

The Doctor couldn't help but laugh at Lucy taking his scarf. But just as he chuckled, he felt his hat being taken off of his head, and floated inbetween himself and the Diclonius. Lucy then lightly smiled and used her vector to set the hat on top of her head. The hat, however, seemed like it was a size too big for her and sat lopsided on her pink head.

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin to Lucy. "Wonderful sense of style, Lucy." He quipped. "You look just like me!"

Being notably shorter than the Doctor meant that she would have to coil the lengthy scarf around her shoulders, making sure that the trailing fabric would not hit the ground and soil it's color. And in order to do that, her vectors would be required to accomplish that action. Adjusting and sitting up, Lucy snickered to herself, amused by the gargantuan size of the scarf compared to her own tiny frame. It reminded her of playing dress up in her childhood— trying on the clothing of the previous inhabitants of the houses that she would infiltrate.

Glancing up, Lucy decided to complete the look by snatching up the Doctor's hat, balancing it over top of her horns. It was a comical sight indeed!

"Do you think that I could pull off the look in public?" The Diclonius chuckled in a fancy-free manner, leaning back— nearly every move that she made resulted in the clothing to shift, and so she made sure not to do so too much.

The vector reached up, removing the hat and placing it back on her companion's head.

The Doctor felt the hat return back to his head as Lucy laughed. "I think you may need some proper fitting, but I think you could pull off my style." He said.

Some time had passed as both of them shared a laugh. Looking ahead, he spoke to Lucy. "You know, I was hoping that your vectors would be used for something good, Lucy." He said. "You're starting to show that they can after that little display." He then looked at Lucy. "I think you really can put them to work as an extension of yourself, rather than those of weapons. They really _can_ be used for something positive."

Was the Doctor subtly mentioning that Lucy should utilize her vectors for the sake of bettering society? Mixed emotions followed suit— now why in the world would any human wish to benefit from the Diclonius? Damn near all of them refused to even address her, let alone treat the horned one as an equal. Why assist them, if they never assisted her?

—Then again, the lesson that the scarved Time Lord was trying to convey, was that in order to truly understand life, one must make sacrifices, and try to look at the better side of people.

"Would they..." Lucy paused, looking over and speaking lightly, "...e_ven__ want_ my help?"

The Doctor looked ahead as he matched Lucy's speed on his bike. "Not unless you outright say, 'Excuse me, my friend. Would you care if I murdered you in a bloody heap?' You must understand, Lucy, not all of humanity will outright look at you with disgust, simply because of your looks. Granted, the greater majority will outcast you because they fear what they don't understand."

He looked at her and raised an index finger, keeping his balance with one hand on the handlebars. "But if you show that you are willing to assist someone, then that same assistance will be reciprocated toward you."

The Doctor shook his head. "Not all humans are as bad as the ones you've experienced, Lucy. Sometimes, a helping hand is all that's required to let them know that you are a friend."

She had her doubts— of course she would, as anybody may when put into her shoes. Lucy sighs, shrugging her shoulders and looking around; was this an honest case of the nerves? Of some sort of shyness overcoming her? The idea of assisting the human out of pure wish to help was not her forte.

"Still though, how am I supposed to just approach a stranger, and offer a helping hand? Isn't that looked at as— well, odd? At least, that is how it is where I am from. The Japanese people take pride in their personal, every day work. Is that different in other countries?"

Lucy honestly had no idea. Seeing that she had never left the Japanese mainland, the Diclonius was not aware of the different customs around the globe.

The Doctor sighed. "Yes. It is different in other countries. True, as you say. The Japanese take pride in their work. A little too much pride, I think, since they don't really take kindly to others handling their problems for them. Sometimes, they don't understand that everyone needs help from time to time."

He slalomed a bit on his bike, making zig-zags on his bike. "Why do you think I've always saved different planets on certain occasions, Lucy? Sometimes, while someone may not think he or she may need assistance, they in fact, do need help. And trust me." He flashed a toothy grin to the Diclonius. "It's _never_ odd to ask if they need help. Not in the slightest. In fact, it sends off a good impression of you."

"Then where do I even begin?" My, so many questions coming from the mouth of somebody who supposedly understood everything that the world had to offer— in a way, it frustrated Lucy. For so long, she had herself convinced that she, the ever so hateful horned one, knew each and every concept of the human-ruled society. It was similar to the way a pre-teen would get annoyed when told they were 'wrong'.

However, she took it with a grain of salt, sighing.

Lucy knew that her scarved companion knew what he was doing.

"Do I just approach the next person on the side of the road that I see, and ask if they need help carrying their bags? Or just saunter about and wait for somebody to fall over, and make sure they get to their feet?"

"Hold on, Lucy." The Doctor said, holding a hand up. "I didn't mean it _quite_ like that. When helping somebody, it usually comes as very spontaneous as to what their problem is. You never quite expect it, but when it comes, it's usually up to you do decide what would be best for the person when being a good Samaritan." He then pointed a finger at Lucy. "It's not a matter of waiting, but rather-"

As the Doctor explained, they both heard a voice on the side of the path.

"Excuse me? Hello?" It was the voice of a young man, right next to a car. "Can you two help me?"

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin, as he pointed to the source of the sound as he finished his sentence. "-but rather a matter of opportunity. Come on!"

As they both braked to a stop next to the man, the Doctor tipped his hat. "How do you do, my young friend?" He asked. "Is there something we can help you with, per chance?"

The man sighed. "Oh, am I glad that you two were wondering about. This part of North Yorkshire's pretty empty around this time. Looks like everyone's taking a holiday, it seems."

"It is a beautiful day for one." he said, nudging Lucy. "What can we do to help you, my friend?"

"Well, you see, my car has a flat right now, and I've got a spare in the trunk. The only problem is I don't have a tire iron, or jacks. I know, it's a stupid thing to say, but this car used to be someone else's. I've no idea why they thought the tire iron and jack to be rubbish."

The Doctor nodded as he knealt down next to the car, inspecting the wheel. "Indeed." He turned and showed his toothy grin. "Nothing we can't help with, of course! Go and get your spare, and we'll switch it out."

The man's eyes lit up. "Oh, thanks a lot, mate!" He said.

"Not a problem." The Doctor replied. "What's your name?"

"Derrick." The man said. "You, mate?"

"I'm the Doctor." The Time Lord then pointed to the horned pinkette. "This is my dear friend, Lucy."

Was not that the most convenient opportunity? Awkwardly, the Diclonius steps back, trying not to draw any sort of attention on herself, simply allowing the two men to speak. Had she not known better, Lucy would assume that these two were old pals, from they way they spoke. Damned, the Doctor made it appear so simple and easy to get along with strangers! Then again, he was a pious, warm spirited individual. As for HER? —- Warm was just about as opposite as it got for the horned girl.

Listening in, spacing out occasionally, it seemed that this man's car was in need of some sort of repair. A flat tire, as they say. Now, Lucy had absolutely no knowledge of motorized vehicles. She had only just learned how to ride a bicycle! And ten minutes later, the Diclonius was expected to assist with an entirely different animal. At least she was not the only one involved, correct?

Lucy would be stirred to answer once introduced, "Ah—… Mhh. Hello."

Usually, this would be where two strangers would shake hands, and thus, she reached out slowly, offering her hand, and initiating said action. That was not so hard, was it?

—Right, and then you acknowledge the other.

"It is nice to meet you, Derrick," she speaks, monotone.

So far so good! The stranger had turned to go and retrieved his spare. With curious eyes, Lucy takes a look at the car; what interesting things, they are. While many people walked or took bikes back at home, the pinkette had only seen cars when wandering around the busier sections of Kamakura. Smooth colors and material to match, she reaches and brushes a hand across the window, against her own reflection. How—-

—-And then it hit her. **Her horns were visible**— _VISIBLE!_ Visible to this STRANGER! Eyes widening, Lucy grew nervous anxiety quietly building in her stomach.

Derrick emitted a slight chuckle at Lucy's gesture. "Hello, Lucy." He said, smiling. "Thanks a lot for coming to help me. You and your friend are blessings, let me tell you, mate."

The Doctor then pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver, and went to work on the hub cap. "This won't take but a moment." He said. "I'll have to loosen up the bolts first."

"Do what you gotta do, mate." Derrick said, turning to the Time Lord. "I dunno how you're gonna get the hubcap and tire off without the tire iron."

"Oh, don't worry." He said, chuckling. "I've got my own methods." With that, he went to work, hovering the Screwdriver over the hubcap bolts.

Derrick shook his head. "Your friend's a odd duck, he is." He said. "I've been here for hours, and I didn't think anyone would come."

He looked down and saw the Doctor's scarf ends dangling on the ground from Lucy's small figure. "Your scarf's dragging, mate." He said, pointing to the tasseled ends.

—-Well, this was peculiar. Maybe the man was being courteous, and decided against bringing up the fact that this woman had a pair of horns sticking out of her head. It had happened before— at least, that is what Lucy could only assume. Any other time, and the strangers before her would either find them fascinating, or downright disturbing. Pursing her lips together, Lucy then became even MORE surprised as Derrick mentioned her FRIEND being the strange one— not her?

What exactly—?!

In fact, the Diclonius was caught speechless.

"Oi! I said your scarf's dragging."

"Oh— sorry," Lucy spoke up, cheeks pink from embarrassment. With haste, she adjusted the scarf, just to make sure that it would not be covered in dirt.

"What was that you were saying?"

"I said your friend is an odd duck. I've never seen anyone like him before."

"Strange? Oh, well— hmm, he's eccentric," the horned one spoke, not sure how else to describe the Doctor. Her mind was far too jumbled, trying to process the fact that a human being was being _decent to her_.

Derrick only nodded absentmindedly as he watched the Doctor loosen the hubcaps. "Weird that a Doctor comes along to help me." He shook his head in thought. "Doctor. What kind of a Doctor? And Doctor who?"

The Doctor laughed to himself as he overheard Derrick's thoughts when he spoke. 'Doctor who?' That was the question, indeed. This wasn't the first time he was asked that when meeting new people.

Derrick only sighed. "What's so funny, mate?" He asked the Doctor.

"Oh, nothing. Just thought of something amusing, is all." The Time Lord responded.

"Whatever, mate."

Derrick then looked over at the silent Diclonius. He noticed the protrusions on the side of his head, and wondered if those were normal to her.

"Sorry to ask, mate. But what's with those things on your head?" He asked. "Those seem like they must give you massive migraines. Is it a condition of sorts?"

**Tch**.

If she were an animal, her ears would perk up at the sudden questioning towards her horns— it was absolutely no surprise that eventually, the bony protrusions were brought up. Nobody else had horns, and they were undoubtedly different. Turning her head to the side, it took just about every nerve within her limp body to not at least shove Derrick where he stood; any other time, before coming across the Doctor, Lucy would have assaulted killed the man for his question.

At least, she would, if he were jeering them. Instead, he asked a simple question.

"… Sometimes," Lucy answers passively, trying not to sound aggravated, still looking at the vehicle in front of her, "sometimes they cause pain. Not right now, though. They are not bothering me right now…"

A hand reaches up to touch her right side horn, a habit that had been formed whenever they were the center of attention.

Derrick felt as if a strange, negative vibe reverberated from the pink haired girl. He scratched the top of his head.

"I'm, uh... I'm sorry for asking. I get curious sometimes. I..." He looked down, eyes averted. "Sorry."

The Doctor could feel the awkward vibe coming from the two as well. "Lucy, be nice." He said. "He was just curious."

"Yeah!" Derrick responded. "Uh... yeah. I didn't mean to offend."

The Doctor turned around, his grin showing. "I know you didn't!" He said, jovially. "You weren't making fun of her, were you?"

Derrick shook his head fervently. "No, no! Of course not!"

The Doctor looked at Lucy. "Told you." He said. "Now, play nice you two. I still need someone to help me get the tire on." He then went back to unscrewing the last hubcap bolt.

Damn it, of course she would flip the switch just as she was learning to act civil.

"Oh, no— it's fine, my apology," the Diclonius mentioned, waving a dismissive hand, "I'm just not accustom to people questioning about them. I usually have a hat on."

Fair enough save.

"You didn't offend," Lucy shook her head, crossing arms in a passive manner; when the Doctor mentioned that he needed assistance, the horned one once again spoke up. "I would help, but— I don't have the slightest idea or clue about anything concerning cars."

"Don't worry, Lucy." The Doctor said. "All I need are you special 'talents' to get the tire on. He doesn't have a jack after all."

Derrick tilted his head. "How the hell are you gonna do that, mate? I doubt you can lift the bloody thing."

The Doctor only grinned as he loosened the hubcap. "Oh, you'll see soon enough."

Derrick shook his head. "Your friend, mate. I dunno about him."

He looked at Lucy and her horns. "Sorry about asking, Lucy." He said. "I probably had the feeling you get teased about that a lot."

He then chuckled. "Your horns actually remind me of a funny story about my flatmate." Derrick scratched his ear. "Funny bit. We had a wasp nest on the outside of our flat, and he decided to be a hotshot and smack it down. He angered the lot, and actually got stung by two wasps in the head."

He pointed to one of the horns. "Actually got stung in the same place those things you have are. A few days later, it looked like he grew two large horns on the sides of his head. We called him Hellboy for weeks because of that."

Derrick laughed. "At least it was better than calling him our 'horny flatmate'. He probably would have killed the lot of us."

When was the last time that the Diclonius had participated in a casual conversation? —- A better question yet, is if whether or not she had EVER done so. Very vaguely, Lucy could recall a time where her naive alter self was in control of the body, walking along outside of Kouta and Yuka's university. They could go on and on and chatter with their fellow classmates as Nyu stood on the side, laughing and carrying on with them as well. Though, the words were not very intelligent, they were words. Now, had the more aggressive one been in charge, there would be little to nothing from her side of it all.

_Sigh, how obnoxious._

You are supposed to laugh when amusing things are spoken of, correct? Hmh. Humans being stung by venomous insects was hilarious to the Diclonius— Lucy allotted a chuckle when Derrick told the story of his unfortunate friend, though she did not understand the 'Hellboy' reference.

"Maybe he'll learn not to meddle with wasps again, hmh?" Lucy mentions, a light smile on her visage.

"Alright, Lucy. I'm going to need your 'talents' now." The Doctor said. "Could you come over to the rear of the car, please?"

Going over, she pondered whether or not to just stand there and let the vectors do all the work, or… Wait! THERE she had an idea!

Bending to her knees, the Diclonius allowed her vectors to simply hover over her own arms; grabbing the back of the vehicle, she mimed the movement of lifting the back, but actually allowed the invisible super appendages to do the work. And there it was! Lucy had managed to keep the car up, allowing the Doctor go about his work.

The Doctor looked up as Lucy made the appearance of lifting the car, where it was _pretty obvious_ that her vectors were being used for support.

He smiled. "Well, look at you, Lucy!" He said.

Derrick, however, widened his eyes. "How...? How the bloody hell are you doing that...?" He was aghast, to say the least. Who would have thought a petite looking girl like her could lift up the rear of a car?

As the Doctor chuckled, he looked back at Derrick. "We're almost done. I just need to detach this old tire. Go to the trunk and grab your spare."

Looking at the Doctor, dumbfounded, he nodded. "...Right." He then went over to Lucy and unlocked his trunk, pulling out a spare from the underside of the fabric. "You two sure are the most unusual people to ever help a bloke like me." Derrick smiled at Lucy. "But I'm grateful for what you are doing. I mean that."

The Doctor looked at Derrick and Lucy, as the civilian did his best to convey his gratitude, albeit in an awkward fashion. Was he making a pass at Lucy? Either case, he smiled as Lucy was processing his words.

Now was the moment for Lucy to try and explain just how managed to lift a two-ton hunk of steel— "Mhhhhh, I guess it is the right thing to do, helping out a stranger in need. That's what my mentor has taught me, at least," she mentions passively; most obviously, that was a reference to her scarved friend, standing there with her hands full, not even batting a lash or sweating in the least. Seeing a petite young woman able to handle something of that weight obviously was very much unheard of.

Dare she say that there was a sense of accomplishment within? It was such a trivial, every day thing for humans— being able to hold a conversation with somebody on the side of the road, assisting them when in need. To Lucy, all of this, it was all so alien and new, and such a challenge, that she couldn't help but feel some pride for the selfless deed.

Inside, the Doctor was swelling with joy. Here was Lucy, actually talking with a human, and not making a murderous action. Not one drop of blood was spilled. She was making progress!

Much like when Susan Foreman took her first steps during his original incarnation, the Doctor couldn't help but feel a fatherly pride in Lucy's actions. The fact that she was able to withhold her rage, and actually assist a human, a being that she thought was _scum and far below her_, was something of a sight to behold.

Needless to say, the Doctor couldn't be happier at this event.

Going back to the tire, he loosened the last bolt with the Sonic Screwdriver. "Okay, Derrick. Bring your spare over. Let's get this properly situated."

Blinking for a moment, Derrick looked at the Doctor. "Ah! Right." He then passed by Lucy and handed the Doctor the tire. "Here you are, mate."

With a nod, the Doctor slid the tire into the axle and proceeded to reattach the bolts with the screwdriver. "Shouldn't be too long, now." After a few tightening of bolts later, he looked at Lucy. "Okay, Lucy. You can let go. But set it down slowly."

* * *

_"Hey! Come on! There's a lot of animals for us to see! We can't just hang out in one place."_

_The little horned girl was in awe, gasping and cheering as she looked at all of the large, unique animals at the zoo. Never before had she seen real life giraffes, elephants and reptiles! How charming and fascinating! And to know that she was here with her new friend, Kouta, it was lovely… It was a day that would never be copied and redone… Truly, this was the greatest day that young Kaede would ever have._

_And the very next, would be the absolute worst._

* * *

_"How— How could you do this?! I thought we were friends?!"_

_Looming over the bodies, Kaede uttered to the boy, __"…What are you talking about? It's because we're friends that I didn't kill you…"_

* * *

The memories whispering in the back of Lucy's mind as she went through the motions of assisting with the car, making sure to carefully lower it down to the ground.

_'…Kouta and the others, they would be so happy to hear how well I am doing. I… I wonder if I ever cross their minds? But Kouta… He is so busy with University. Yuka, Nana, Mayu, I am utterly sure that they enjoy their care free lifestyle, without having to worry aboutsoldiersand doctors kicking down the door, looking for me. Kouta-kun… I'm helping out humans now, I'm trying to behave, I really am.'_

The car the lowered with a slight bounce. "Good work, Lucy!" The Doctor said. With one final check, he made sure that the bolts were tightened on the wheel. With luck, they were.

The Doctor then rose up and flashed a toothy grin to Derrick. "There we are!" He said. "That should just about do it. Should last you until you replace it with a new tire. Is there an automobile repair shop nearby?"

Derrick shrugged and leaned on the car, next to the Doctor. "I reckon I could find one. I've got a few friends who know of some shops that they could refer me to." He then took the Doctor's hand and shook it. "Listen, thanks for your help, mate. I probably would be stranded the whole day if you two didn't turn up."

"No trouble at all, Derrick!" The Doctor said, taking out his bag of Jelly Babies. "I don't suppose you would care for a Jelly Baby?"

Derrick's face lit up. "Sure! I haven't had a Jelly Baby in a while." He then reached into the bag and poppeda green one into his mouth without a second thought.

"Do be careful while driving, Derrick." The Doctor advised, pocketing his sweets. "It would be wise if you found a shop as soon as possible, and not drive on your spare for too long."

"Don't worry, mate. My mum's isn't too far from here. I'll just give my friends a ring on her phone. My own mobile is dead. But thanks for the advice."

Derrick then went over to Lucy at the trunk of his car. "And thank you, mate. You were brilliant, you were." Derrick slightly blushed as he scratched the back of his head. "Listen. It's probably a long shot, but are you doing anything later? We could grab a bite to eat, if you want? I know this really good place."

The Doctor laughed as he put a hand on Derrick's shoulder. Quite amusing, it was, that a human was asking Lucy out on a date. She's probably not ready for that… yet.

"Terribly sorry, my dear fellow." The Doctor said. "Lucy and I have a previous engagement tonight."

He laughed as he looked at the Doctor. "Hard luck, eh?" He joked, before looking back to Lucy. "It was worth a shot, at least."

My, what did this remind the horned girl of?

* * *

_"Kouta, you need to start cleaning, right away! It's already mid day!"_

_The raven haired male grumbles, rubbing the back of his head, standing and proceeding to collect his materials to begin the day's chores. Along with him were Mayu and Nana, washing the floor, putting the laundry on drying lines, and making sure that their dog, Wanta, was fed and cared for._

_Yuka, the 'mother' of the house, was a strict one, and tough willed, but in the end, it was her confidence and push that kept the household clean and in tact— especially when it came to Kouta's lazy ways._

_"And make sure Nyu doesn't get into anything," the woman reminds, "she knows her chores schedule by now!"_

_A cheerful, childish grin._

_Nyu, a much more innocent side of Lucy that the family knew, and came to love._

_"Nyyuuuu! I'll work very hard, Yuka-san. Promise!"_

* * *

Smiling to herself, eyes lidded in thought, Lucy wondered how that small family was, if they kept up to date with the cleaning— and mostly, if they missed her.

—But, why would she think of that, now, of all times? This was a period for the horned one to fix herself, for the better! Having those back in Kamakura in the back of her mind would not assist in that. With a sigh, she brushes them aside once more, paying attention to Derrick and the Doctor. The stranded man was carrying on with her scarved companion, eating a Jelly Baby, thanking the duo for their help.

With a proper, traditional bow of respect, the Diclonius responded to Derrick's request, "Gomenasai, perhaps another time." She had copied the actions that were done whenever one of her own 'family' greeted or departed with another individual at the Maple Inn. Lucy herself was oblivious to the romantic notion, due to her mind being flooded with quite a bit of thought, memory, and conflict. However, she remained composed with a gentle smile on her face, behaving just as the Doctor would have wished her to do. And on that note, Lucy believed that she had done well.

"I do wish you luck with your vehicle," the horned one bid kindly.

Derrick nodded. "Thanks, Lucy. You were a lot of help." He turned to the scarved Time Lord. "And thank you, Doctor. I dunno how I can repay you."

"Who said you had to repay?" the Doctor said with a toothy grin. "Just as long as you don't get any more flats in the future, eh?"

"Will do, mate. I gotta get going."

He then closed the door of his trunk and went to his driver side, getting into his seat. As he started the car, he turned to Lucy.

"By the way! Love the horns, mate! Don't get rid of 'em, you hear?"

And with that, Derrick waved farewell to the duo and drove off into the distance, rounding the bend and disappearing into the distance.

_'Love the horns, mate! Don't get rid of 'em, you hear?'_

The very moment that statement processed, Lucy's eyes widened in a very visible manner.

_'Don't get rid of 'em, you hear?'_

"…"

* * *

_"Wow! They're great! They're so great! I'm jealous…!"_

* * *

There was absolutely nothing that could have prepared the killer for such a compliment. And from a complete stranger. In that moment, the Diclonius felt her heart lighten— it may only be a meager shift in weight, but it was significant no matter.

While exchanging an embrace with the Time Lord, Lucy speaks up quietly, "… To think… To think that fixing a car could lead to such joy… Despite how small of a light it may be… It's one of the only stars in my night sky."

With a warm smile, the Doctor turned to the Diclonius. "Well done, Lucy. You handled yourself wonderfully." He then hugged Lucy in a warm embrace. "I'm proud of you. I _really_ am very proud of you."

As they part, her voice is risen once more, "You are the first person to ever be proud of me."

The Doctor smiled widely. "What reason do I have _not_ to be?" He asked. "You're showing me _exactly_ what I had said to you when we first met. That life _can_ be treasured, and you still have a chance to change."

He pointed to her. "And what did you just show me? You just helped out a person that you, at one time, thought was _nothing but scum, _the very dirt below your feet, and you would've ripped his limbs off without a second thought. Am I right?"

The Doctor could see Lucy lightly nod, still with a smile on her face.

"And you didn't do that, did you?"

Lucy shook her head. "No. I guess I did not."

"I told you before, Lucy. Youare _not_ a monster. You never were. You only believed that because of that pesky, murderous voice in your head." He said, pointed to her temple.

"You're more than that. You're a wonderful creature, and bloodshed _should never_ be your solitude."

He was right… This was a dramatic turn in Lucy's character. Recalling a moment that she had with herself once upon a time, the Diclonius maintained a softened expression.

'_My ideal self. I always said, that when I died, when I came back, I would be a good girl. I would behave, and live happily with humans. Maybe in my next life, I'll have a mother and father that will be delighted to call me 'daughter'. Maybe…_'

"There is still a lot for me to do, before I can completely accept humans as a whole," Lucy admits, looking up at the Time Lord, "but… You think I've done well— and I think I've done well too. I guess… Everybody starts off somewhere."

Nodding once more, she steps aside, grabbing a hold of her bike, one hand on the left handle, "I have a lot to do before I can consider myself to not be a monster, but, convincing_ you_ is an accomplish in itself."

The Doctor went over to Lucy and uncoiled the scarf from her neck, recoiling it around his own, the ends flowing down to the ground. Going over to his own bike, he mounted his seat.

"You'll get better with time, Lucy." He said. "As you said, everyone starts somewhere. But you've made fantastic progress in changing yourself."

He then kicked up the kickstand and rode ahead of Lucy. "Now come on. There's plenty more for us to see!"

For a while, the duo would wind through the paths of Yorkshire, sharing the sights and enjoying lighthearted conversation. Lucy was in a rather laid back mood, one that she had not enjoyed in quite some time. And, for the first time ever, she was not worried about others noticing the bony horns upon her head. Neither did the concern of being captured ever cross her mind.

After about twenty minutes, Lucy would stop her bike; a small group of ducklings, following their mother, were crossing the dirt path, heading towards what appeared to be a pond.

Kicking his kickstand down, the Doctor dismounted and produced a small bag of bread crumbs from his pocket. "Never knew when I would use these again." He said, as he grabbed a handful of bread. The ducks would then waddle to the pond as they continued to swim in single file. He then tossed the crumbs into the water, and within a second, the ducks traced the source of the small splashes and became attracted to the new found food.

Swimming towards the bread, the mother duck and duckling began to scoop the bread into their beaks. The Doctor would then hand the bag of crumbs to the Diclonius.

"Care to feed the ducks, Lucy?" He asked with a toothy grin.

"Of course I want to feed the ducks," Lucy answered immediately, deserting her bicycle and grabbing a handful of the bread crumbs, kneeling down by the edge of the pond. Holding her hand out, one of the more curious ducklings approached, eating straight from the palm of the horned one. Smiling, she appeared serene and in a state of peace, as she communed with her environment.

Dahlia eyes look across the water; this view, it reminded her of the Enoshima shore.

"… There was a beautiful view of the ocean, when I stayed in Kamakura. We would always watch the sunset, whenever we came home from daily chores, or from running errands…" A melancholy smile appeared on her visage.

"I wonder… If they still do that?"

The Doctor knelt next to the Diclonius. "It sounds nice, Lucy." He said. "I've actually not been to Kamakura. It had been so long since I visited Japan, Satoyama was the first place in Japan I've been to. I usually wind up in the bigger cities, like Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka. Even Edo, if you want to go further back."

Taking some more breadcrumbs into his hand, he fed a few ducks that ate from his hand as well. "It sounds like you spent most of your life there, Lucy." He said. "What exactly is Kamakura like? Is there anyone that you know from there? You sound as if you just came from a family…"

Instantly, a distinctly sad smile was offered by Lucy, as she was asked that question.

The beast began to spin a tale.

"…Kamakura is a sea-side country town, for the most part. Only the inner part of the city has a heavy population. It is right at the foot of a mountain range, surrounded by the shore. There is a train station," she mentioned the very station where she had killed Kanae and Kouta's father, " … where you come into the city. My orphanage as a child was in the mountains, overlooking Kamakura."

A sigh.

"I… For a while, lived with that boy, that you saw in my memories, after I broke free. Kouta, and his cousin, Yuka. The two of them allowed me to stay in the house for a while, but that was before Kouta regained his memories. He suffered amnesia, because of—" a thick gulp, "… because of me, because of the death of his sister and father. For the longest time, he did not know it was me who was there— he simply thought I was an abandoned stranger."

That's right... She had never spoken of the underground labyrinth that she escaped from, nor the 'family' that once gave the horned one a home.

Lucy glanced over at the Time Lord, that same smile on her face, despite being deeply saddened, "Kouta will never forgive me for killing those two. And so, when his memories returned, he told me to leave his sight. It was for the best, so… I complied."

The Doctor noted the sadness in Lucy's voice, as she spoke of the boy she knew as Kouta. That same memory replayed through his own mind, the death of his little sister, and his father. It was no wonder he developed amnesia.

"Kouta suffered, what sounds to me, amnesia related to mental trauma." The Doctor said. "That's normal among humans witnessing a horrific tragedy like that. Even _I_ would want to forget that, if something like that happened to a member of my own family."

He looked at Lucy, and put a hand on her shoulder to show support. "I know that it's not easy for you to hear, but it's more than likely Kouta _will never_ forgive you. He has good reason not to. Humans never forget those that have wronged them, or have taken something so precious from them."

Lucy's face was still with a sad smile, as if she were trying to stay strong. "But, it sounds like you don't want his forgiveness. What you are wanting from him is absolution. Is that right?"

"_I—-I know, that Kouta will never forgive me. He has told me, and never will that moment leave me— it's selfish, to feel sad about that… Because I have caused him so much hurt. All he has done is try to live a happy life, and because of my neediness— H-Had I just, left him alone, and not tried to go and see him at that festival—!_" Lucy's voice cracked.

"_—__This would have never happened… He could have come back to visit me the next year… We could have gone back to the zoo… And eaten ice cream together… Maybe he would have let me meet his family… Maybe they would have liked my horns as well…_"

A thick silence followed suit for a while; nothing could be said.

"_… __But I'll never know… I'll never be able to even imagine… Because that possibility slipped away, so… So… Long ago… A-and yet… Even if Kouta never forgives me… I feel better knowing that I feel this sadness, I know what I have done wrong— I just want my sins… To be pardoned…_"

"Come here, Lucy."

With that, the Doctor drew Lucy into a hug, comforting the Diclonius much like he would with his own granddaughter when she was sad. There were times, back all of those years ago, that Susan would be scared stiff about humans not accepting her, that she would seem the odd person out with her vast intelligence. How the Doctor missed her, leaving her behind after the Dalek's previous invasion of Earth.

Much like Susan, the Doctor started to see Lucy as another daughter, of sorts. A child who was lost in the path of life, and committed atrocities that _even she_ would wish she didn't commit.

Time has a way of catching up with you when you've had an effect like that.

A Time Lord, even more so.

"In the short time we've known each other, you've shown me a lot about your life, Lucy." He said, stroking the pink locks as his hands hit the horns. "I know you wish things to be different, and that you want a clean slate."

An idea popped into his mind. Drawing her away, he looked at her in her eyes. "What do you want to do, Lucy? Do you feel like this is the right thing you want?"

He lowered his head a bit, to make certain that Lucy was certain she wanted this. "Do you want to pay Kouta a visit?"

'_I want… To see Kouta… Just one last time. I want to see him so badly. I know we will never be together, I have accepted that… And though he will never forgive me, and we will be worlds apart, I just want to have him as a friend… That's all I've wanted. A friend.'_

As she was held and comforted, Lucy hesitatingly gave a nod in response to the Time Lord's question, "I do, even though I should not return. I bring about disaster wherever I go— and that family has already dealt with so much because of me."

"If… If I were to visit Kouta and the others, it would have to be brief. In and out. Just to see if I can have my absolution," the Diclonius mentioned. Slowly, but surly, the tears ceased to fall.

"Would you be able to, Doctor? Would you be able to let me see them just once more? It will help me let go— I will never be able to fully turn around, if I continue to hold onto this poisonous guilt. It would all be in vain."

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin to Lucy. "I have a TARDIS, remember? We can go anywhere you want." He then poked her nose. "Even if it means seeing Kouta."

He nodded. "I'll take you to see him. If you want, I'll be there with you, by your side. I know this is a very trying time for you. You have me for support."

The Time Lord brought her back in for another hug. "And always remember. I _am_ your friend, Lucy. And so is K-9. You don't have to fret about not having one, anymore."

"R-Really?!"

A nervous thump is produced by her heart: She was going to see Kouta! She was going to see Kouta, Yuka, Mayu, Nana— all of them! Oh how on edge she abruptly became— Lucy was excited, and nervous, all at once. And it was a pleasant sensation! Just as a daughter would cling to her father, the Diclonius allowed the hug.

Oddly enough, it caused her to remember that soft-voiced little Silpelit, the way she would cling onto that one man…

_"Papa! I'm so happy to see Papa! Are you proud of me?"_

"… Doctor, you are the best friend I could ever wish for."

What could the Doctor say to that? If you were in his position, you wouldn't either. This girl who had thought herself a monster actually had a friend, and the Doctor was more than happy to hear that coming from the horned girl.

She had a friend, and that was all that had mattered. He brought light to an otherwise darkened sky, as was his forte.

Releasing the hug, he adjusted his hat. "We mustn't waste any time, then." He said. "Let's ride back to the TARDIS. I'm rather anxious to meet Kouta."

He walked over to his bike, and mounted it. "Shall we?"

"And I thought you had said that we had all the time in the world?" Lucy joked lightly, remounting her bicycle, "None the less, you're right… Let's go."

The duo wound through the paths, backtracking away from the pond, passing where they had assisted Derrick, zipping through the trees before eventually reaching the TARDIS where it stood.

"That's the trouble when you've traveled through time as long as I have." The Doctor joked back. "You think you have all the time in the world, then something interesting pops up. The trouble of doing everything you want to do, is that you never seem to find the time."

As they had backtracked their path, they wound up back to the TARDIS. Dismounting his bike, the Doctor unlocked the door, and wheeled his bike into the Console Room, Lucy following suit.

Closing the bigger double doors, he clapped his hands together, eyeing the controls. Once Lucy set her bike next to the Doctor's, he went to work on the coordinates.

The console room was about as mind-boggling as the rest of the TARDIS and it's immense amount of controls; by good fortune, Lucy need not to understand any of it.

"So, two things. First, do you know where Kouta resides?

"He resides at the Maple Inn, just four blocks away from Gokurakuji Train Station— there are a lot of traditional temples around the area… You have to climb a stone stairway to wind up reaching the location. It used to be a restaurant for a while, and then a small hotel, but then the owners leased it, hence why they have so much room," Lucy mused, recalling the setting as if it were just yesterday when she had watched the sunset on the ocean with everybody else, "I will be able to lead you."

As the Doctor entered the coordinates, he tried to decide to find a good landing place for the TARDIS. "Stairs, eh?" He asked. "Never really care much for those things if it involves climbing. I should be able to reach the top if we pop the TARDIS in just right. The Doctor said, inputting the coordinates. "Second, aside from what I've seen of his younger self, what is he like?"

Shaking her hair out a little, a hand brushes through the pink strands, eyes calm, "What is he…Like? Mhhh. Kouta can be dense at times, but, he means well, I suppose. He has a simple personality— sometimes it leaves him annoying, I will not lie."

Once the coordinates were entered, the flipped the lever, and the Time Rotor started to move. They were off to the Maple Inn in Kamakura. "So, Kouta is one of those people that isn't quite bright? I've dealt with a few humans quite like that. I swear, sometimes humans can have such limited little minds. I don't know why I like them so much."

He echoed the same thing he said to Sarah Jane just before coming across the Mandragora Helix, and remembered what Sarah had said.

* * *

"_Because you have such good taste!"_

* * *

That was true, indeed. He did have an affinity for humans, and they amused him to a degree. But never in a very misanthropic way. More of seeing a little kid trying to stumble about before trying to help them a bit.

"What about his cousin? Yuka, I think you said her name was?"

Shoulders shrug, "Average education, nothing that really stands out about his appearance— he and Yuka attend the same university nearby. It isn't a prestigious one, but the two of them keep their grades at a good level. They are hard workers, and often times invite people to stay with them if they come upon difficult living. That is exactly how I wound up crossing paths with Kouta after being separated for nearly nine years…"

Nerves tugged at bothered Lucy's stomach.

She had absolutely no clue what to expect when stepping through the doorway— the last time that there was dialogue between the two, it was not an easy one, not at all. Kouta's amnesia had finally been cured due to a rather unfortunate, gruesome display of violence that played out in front of him, thanks to Lucy's rage. Upon confronting the beast, it was clear that the once calm, collect boy, could barely contain his own anger; he had damned the Diclonius, telling her to get out of his sight, and that forgiveness would never be given. Despite the other members of the household making an attempt at calming Kouta down, Lucy decided against waiting— she vanished, claiming that she would never see each other again.

…Was Kouta serious when he said that he had never wanted to see her again?

Even more so, would he be more happy to see Lucy— or her soft, naive alter, Nyu? Lidding her eyes in thought, it would be convenient and simple if she allowed Nyu to take control in the meantime; everybody in the Maple Inn household preferred the childish personality.

But! The Doctor would EASILY call her bluff and figure out just what was going on.

No, she could not allow Nyu to take control of this situation. It was Lucy's life to fix. Not the others.

After a bit of time, the Time Rotor stopped moving, as the engines ground to a halt. "We've landed, Lucy." He said with a toothy grin. Activating the view screen, the Doctor could see a small gated building with a taller building just behind it. In front of it were some stairs, most likely the ones Lucy was talking about.

"Perfect landing, too! Looks like we've landed just in front of the main staircase Told you we wouldn't worry about any stairs."

Flipping the door lever open, he and Lucy walked to the blue exterior doors. As they both filed out of the TARDIS, the Doctor closed the door behind him, taking in the scenery.

It certainly was peaceful, to say the least. It was as if they were still in the Yorkshire countryside. No wonder Lucy mentioned they help people come stay with them. It almost seemed like a sanctuary.

Knowing Lucy, the fact she lived here for some time, she certainly needed one. At least, before she called the TARDIS her sanctuary.

Standing side by side, he took her hand and grasped it. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Lucy?" He asked. "We can back out, if you like. I don't want to force you to do anything you're not comfortable with."

An incredible wave of nostalgia hit Lucy like a tidal wave the very moment they stepped out of the TARDIS; humming cicadas and talkative birds could be heard from every direction as the sakura blossoms lazily fell to the ground, a thin layer of the petals already littered across the concrete path. If one were to walk just a few paces south, they would be blessed with a beautiful view of Enoshima Beach. Traditional statues lined the path, along with bamboo stalks and trees that had been growing there for decades.

Closing her eyes, the Diclonius took in the sounds and scents, inhaling deeply, and then exhaling. This was it… At this point, there was no worth in turning back. She would never achieve her happy ending until the thick, toxic air that had been left behind by her sins was clear.

Nodding and squeezing her friend's hand, Lucy speaks lowly, "It is time… Let's go."

* * *

The kitchen was busy, full of bubbling pots and simmering pans of different foods that were all being prepared at once; the cook behind all of this was an amateur, and was not all too sure as to how to organize her work.

"Hnnnhhhh— Oh no, if I don't get all this stuff done, the others will think I'm lazy!" A horned girl whispers to herself nervously, frantically trying to keep the rice from boiling over, along with preventing her chicken from burning.

"Nana is so tired… Why did I make this much food?"

* * *

"Wanta, if you keep stopping like this, we'll never get home before lunch time!" A child's voice was then heard behind the two— the girl would come into view only seconds afterwards once Lucy turned her head to get a look. Bobbed black hair bounced up and down as the girl made her way up the winding steps, holding a make-shift dog leash that had been crafted from thin rope. Next to her ran a small, cream colored puppy, startlingly similar to the appearance of Lucy's when she was a child.

Red eyes widen— it was Mayu!

"_Ma—!_"

But before those words had come from the pinkette's mouth, the girl stops, equally surprised.

"…Nyu-san?… Nyu-san! Nyu-san is back!" She shouted with mirth, running forward and waving, tugging Wanta along, "Nyu-san! I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" The girl practically launched herself off of the last step, hugging onto Lucy as if she were an older sister.

Thrown off, the Diclonius stared down, awkwardly reaching one hand and patting Mayu on the top of her head, "H-Hello to you too…!"

Pausing, large brown eyes blink, looking at Lucy, and then to the Time Lord.

"—Are you Nyu-san's friend?"

The Doctor couldn't help but flash a toothy grin to the young girl that hugged Lucy, as if she had known her as a close family member.

"Last time I had checked, I believe I was!" The Doctor quipped. "How do you do, my dear?" He tipped his hat as he squat down to the girl's level. "My name's the Doctor. I'm a dear friend of Lucy's."

Wanta relished in all of the attention, rolling onto his back and playfully nipping at the Doctor's hand; his coat was clean, a sure sign of an owner who cared.

"T-The Doctor? You're a Doctor?" Mayu speaks up quizzically, her voice very much soft spoken, "Doctor who? Doctor sure is a strange first name…" The girl's voice trails off as she was caught daydreaming for a moment, before coming back to earth and waving both hands frantically, "I-I didn't mean to seem rude! I-I've just never met a Doctor before!"

Within a second, the dog then jumped into the Doctor's lap, and started licking his face. "Well, I can see that _you_ are certainly friendly." He said to the dog, picking him up. "Who's a good dog? You are!" He then wiggled his nose against the dog's, the canine licking the Time Lord's nose.

"You don't have a collar..." He said, raising an eyebrow. "I wonder what your name is..." He then turned to the younger girl. "What about you, my young friend? What's your name?"

Smiling, the girl messed with the long sleeves of her bright yellow sweater, reaching and scooping up her puppy, "This is Wanta, my dog… And I'm Mayu! Nyu-san, I didn't know you had made friends," Mayu spoke up, openly surprised.

Sighing, the Diclonius rubs the back of her neck, "I'm about as surprised as you are…" A gulp followed her comment, "Is… Kouta home?"

Shaking her head, Mayu reached her hand out, grabbing Lucy's, "He and Yuka are still at school, but they should be home in an hour! How about you and your friend come in and eat— Nana's cooking in the kitchen!"

Before either of them could answer, Mayu was already dragging the Diclonius by the hand through the archway, pulling her shoes off and placing them on the front step of Maple Inn.

Rushing over to Lucy, he stopped short before kicking his boots off, and setting them on the front step as he walked in. He almost forgot it was an Asian custom to leave the shoes at the door. Setting his boots next to Lucy's and Mayu's, he strolled inside as Mayu let go of Lucy's hand and ran into what looked like the kitchen. As Lucy took in the sights of the peaceful interior of what was known as the Maple Inn, the Doctor walked next to her, surveying the scenery as well.

"Nyu?" The Doctor whispered to Lucy, so that Mayu couldn't hear them. "Why was she calling you Nyu, Lucy? Was it a nickname that you had when you were here?"

As she slipped out of her muddy sneakers, Lucy heard the Time Lord question as to why Mayu was addressing the Diclonius as 'Nyu'. Rather than diving into the rather long reason behind it, she simply answered, "It's sort of a long story, I will explain it to you later."

Across the inn, one could hear Mayu chatting with excitement towards the Silpelit cooking in the kitchen— and of course, Nana was already well aware of Lucy's presence, due to being able to sense one another.

"But why? Why is she here?" The little horned child speaks up with a great amount of confusion, "I thought she didn't want to be around here anymore!"

The human girl shrugs it off, picking Wanta back up off of the ground as the little dog barked for attention, "Who knows! But she brought a friend with her!"

Momentarily, Nana left the kitchen, skidding down the hallway barefoot, wearing a soft blue summer dress, stopping the very moment that she spotted the elder Diclonius and her scarved friend. It was true— the queen was here. Cherry-red eyes widen, the Silpelit's mouth agape.

"L-Lucy-sama…!'

The Doctor's eyes widened the moment he saw another pink haired girl skid across the wooden floor, looking at the two. She was a bit younger than Lucy, but something was different.

Much like his friend, this girl...! She, too, possessed the horns of the Diclonii!

Could it be possible? That the Doctor had found yet _another_ Diclonius?

But yet, there was something else. She didn't have a violent disposition resonating from her. Not unlike the first night the Time Lord came across Lucy. Was she... a friendly Diclonius?

"She has the horns..." He said to himself quietly. Overcoming his state of shock, he cleared his throat and chuckled a bit, taking off his hat and stuffing it in his coat pocket.

"Terribly sorry, my friend." He said to the young horned girl, who seemed as shocked as he was. "I wasn't aware that there would be others home. I'm the Doctor, a friend of Lucy's. What do I call you?"

"The Doctor…?" Childish, naive eyes blink, "O-Oh no! Are you here because someone is sick?" Nana lifted a hand to her mouth, both cheeks blushing from the surprise, "Is Lucy-sama sick? I-I can make some hot tea i-if you'd like!"

Before either the Time Lord, elder Diclonius, or human child could speak up, Nana raced away, returning to the kitchen, the sound of pots clanging here and there as the kettle was filled with water and placed on the stove.

Mayu giggles to herself, "You two can come with me!"

They would be led to the resting room, open towards the garden in the back, a small koi pond decorated with the fallen sakura blossoms in view; it was nearly two, and so the sun could be visible in the shallow water.

"It appears that nothing much has changed around here," Lucy utters softly to herself, looking around.

"Nope! Not really, same schedule, same chores," Mayu chirps, Wanta following quickly at foot, "Here Lucy, lemme get you some clean clothes— erm, Doctor?" The girl pauses, "Could you go to the kitchen and make sure that Nana hasn't knocked anything over? She means well, but, she can be a little clumsy."

"Certainly." The Doctor said. "You behave now, Lucy. I'll be in the kitchen." He then wheeled around back into the Inn, and made his way into the kitchen. What he saw was a cavalcade of pots, pans, and a multitude of foods being prepared all at once. Eyes widened, he saw that the girl was trying to balance a huge stack of plates, trying to get everything set for dinner.

Without a second thought, he grabbed half of the plates that were wobbling about, almost falling over.

"Let me help you with that." The Doctor said. "Can't have you handling this by yourself. You're taking on too many things at once."

He and the younger Diclonius then set the plates down on the table, and ran back into the kitchen, putting lids on the bubbling pots to keep the heat contained.

"There we are!" He said. "Now, it looks like you jumbled a few things up a bit. Which foods did you cook first, Miss...?"

Her face lit up with an immensely embarrassed pink, reaching a hand out "Y-You didn't have to do that!" Nana spoke up— it was supposed to be a shout, but it only came out as a dull roar due to her small frame and stuttering voice. Pursing her lips into a small pout, the Silpelit shakes her head a little, bowing, "G-Gomen, I appreciate your help, Mister Doctor. I hope Lucy-sama gets better! We usually don't have them come to the house… O-Or a better question would be how you found her!"

Puffing her cheeks and then exhaling, the Silpelit released a vector to reach over and flip the cooking takoyaki balls on the griddle with a chopstick, allowing them to cook on the other sides— and yet another slipped over to fold the vinegar into her sushi rice. And even then, ANOTHER vector reached and turned one of the sections of the stove off once the kettle had whistled, "Tea on in a second!" The girl pipes up, pouring hot water into a small cup, walking herself over and using a physical hand to plop the tea bag in. Noticing a broken chopstick forgotten next to the stove, she picks it up, putting it in her mouth for the moment.

Turning, the Silpelit practically glowed with confidence, a small hop in her step "Gee, I'm glad I ended up making so much food…! Nana is happy to have so much company!" With a skip and a hum, the horned child began rambling, returning her attention on the plethora of cooking foods. "The takoyaki will be done in a minute… O-Oh! But the miso should be simmering over there! Where did I put the udon— oh no—-"

So, Nana was the younger Diclonius's name. Why was it that almost all of the Diclonii that the Doctor had come across so far, they all had lovely, cute names? Maybe it was deliberate they have names like that, if they ever became violent. Did it serve as a way to fool humans if a Diclonius ever wanted to kill?

Certainly not this one. She didn't seem like Lucy.

As Nana was having a frantic panic attack about her over abundance of food, the Doctor then rummaged around the pantries, and found some udon noodles to cook with the Miso soup. Bringing a hot, empty pan to the sink, he filled it with water, a billow of steam rising up to the ceiling. After filling it halfway, the Doctor quickly set it on the stove. He then noticed other ingredients were floating about the kitchen.

The Doctor couldn't help but smile.

"I see you're putting your vectors to good use, Nana." He said. "They certainly seem good enough in a pinch. But I do say you're biting off more than you can chew."

He then grabbed some pepper that Nana's vector had grasped next to his head, and seasoned the udon as they were softening. "Now, once things have settled down, I'd be happy to tell you how Lucy and I met, but one thing at a time, my dear."

He then grabbed the cooked takoyaki, and set them down on a platter with chop sticks. "And I believe you are mistaken. Lucy's not sick, and I'm not really a _medical_ Doctor. It's more of an honorary title, you see."

The Doctor looked at the chaos happening on the stoves. "Now, what else do you need? With all of this food, certainly you must have something else that's in danger of overcooking..."

It was a rare occasion to have somebody willing to assist in the kitchen! Usually, Mayu was just as sloppy as the little Silpelit was; Yuka tended to be overly bossy, and Kouta always hurt himself. It wasn't until Nyu learned how to work the stove and cook rice that Nana had any sort of help— of course, though, that was before she had taken her leave.

A persnickety glow is present on the Silpelit's face, leaning her head to the side in an endearing, childish manner. It was not every day that somebody complimented the use of her vectors! Only her beloved 'Papa' ever did so.

"Y-You really think so? Aahhhh~!" Both physical fists pull up to her cheeks as Nana spins in her step; her little dress gave an amusing spin as it swayed with the movement, "Papa always said that I did a great job with them! E-Even if I don't have the best control— mhmm! He said that a lotta potential."

As expected, as the little one chirped with joy, the rice ended up boiling over.

"A-Ahhh ahh ahh ahh ahh!" Nana reaches forward, lifting the pot off of the stove. Shaking her short pink hair out, her lips push out into a pout; "Nana got distracted again…"

Racing around the kitchen, soon food was pulled off of the stove; somen noodles were placed in ice water to chill, takoyaki balls pulled off and placed on serving plates. Rice was put aside, the miso udon soup put on a simmer to remain warm.

"So… Lucy-sama isn't sick?… That's good to hear!" The girl sings, skipping forward to carry the grab more dishes out of their cabinets to serve the food— the Time Lord was in her way, and without warning, two of her vectors shifted up, grabbing him by the shoulders and scooting him aside, "'Scuse me!"

The Doctor was surprised when Nana picked him up with her vectors. He had forgotten how much strength they can possess, even with the slightest push.

"I could have helped you, you know." He said, as plates started to hover above Nana's head and then were sat down on the table. Looking at it, he saw a whole wealth of food that seemed to have been prepared for the whole day.

Yet... something was missing.

"That should be everything. Although..." He then sniffed the air, and then his eyes widened. "That smells like your chicken is done!"

He then went over to one of the pans, and lifted the lid. It smelled like chicken, except for one thing.

Nana was cooking it in a stir fry!

"Oh dear!" The Doctor cried out, hurredly turning off the stove and taking the pan off of the heat. He grabbed a wooden spoon and started stirring up the contents as fast as possible.

"Nana! Grab me a-" He then saw a serving plate floating in front of him. "...Yes, that'll work." The Doctor then started to pour the contents of the stir fry on the plate, as he was trying to salvage the dish as best he could. The plate then hovered over to the center of the table.

Turning back to face the disarrayed kitchen, he flashed a toothy grin to Nana, who was panting. "Well done, Nana! You did a fantastic job!"

Without a second thought, he produced his Jelly Babies and squat down to the younger Diclonius's level. "Here. Have a Jelly Baby."

Everything had been placed on the wide, traditional Japanese table in the dining room; Mayu had been finishing homework, thought she volunteered to move when the food was being brought out. The last time that she had tried to do math homework during dinner resulted in a gyoza falling onto the paper, leaving an unneeded grease stain.

Once each and every dish was set out, Nana grinned in glee, "Everything smells so yummy! Thank you for the help, Mister Doctor." The younger Diclonius was worlds different from Lucy: She was soft, happy, care free, and bright eyed. There as absolutely no difference between her, and a normal human girl her age, aside from the pink hair and horns.

Upon noticing the candy that had been summoned up, a finger is brought to Nana's lips, "Sugar before dinner …?! Shhh, don't tell the others," she whispers, taking the Jelly Baby and placing it in her mouth, chewing it up and swallowing with a satisfying 'gulp'. "Aaahhhhhh~! It's so sweet, it's so tasty! Thank you!"

The smallest things brought happiness and joy to Nana's fragile little heart, swelling with hope for the world— for the longest time, she had tried to get Lucy to see from her point of view, but alas, failed. Her arms and legs were the sacrifice for that attempt, in the end.

Speaking of Lucy— the elder Diclonius made another appearance; she had been wandering the gardens for a bit, checking to see if the sakura blossoms had grown any larger since her last visit. Stepping indoors, dahlia eyes blink.

"…This is quite a large amount of food…"

The Doctor turned to Lucy and scratched the tip of his nose. "Eh..." He chuckled. "Yes, it is _quite_ a large amount. I never really expected for this little girl to make such a big feast. But fortunately, we set it right, at least."

He then squat down, and examined Nana. She looked almost like Lucy, when it came to the hair and, of course, the horns. But, her eyes... Her eyes seemed full of life. Moreso than that of Lucy's, which seemed very unusual. Being that Lucy was the only Diclonius the Doctor had ever encountered, he hadn't expected to really come across _another_ one.

"Very interesting..." He said. "Compared to Lucy, you don't seem to radiate any violent tendencies." He tilted his head to Nana. "You _are_ a Diclonius, yes?" With a bemused look, Nana had nodded. "Taking that into account, most Diclonii would be violent, if Lucy was any indication..." He brought a finger to his chin. "Being that there are more, there _should_ have been at least a limb or two scattered about with the walls painted a new color. Tell me, Nana. And, please don't take this the wrong way, but have you had any violent outbursts before?"

The eldest took her own spot at the table, sitting upon her knees, hands placed in her lap in the polite style that was practice across the region. Dusky eyes examine the Doctor's interest and curiosity towards Nana; it was inevitable that he would find another Diclonius fascinating, especially one as benevolent as the young Silpelit.

Nana allots a gentle sigh, smiling in a relaxed content now that all of the food had been finished and set, "Yes sir, I-I am a Diclonius, not like Lucy though— nothing like Lucy-sama! Papa said that I'm a good girl. Y-You see sir, I have never had a chance to be violent…! I grew up in a facility, and the only reason that I'm walking around here now, is because Papa ask me to help him with something…" The young girl wished not to bring up the fact that the only time she was forced to be violent, was due to the fight with the older Diclonius.

Giggling, the little Silpelit poked her fingers together, "I don't like hurting people, even though all those scientists and soldiers told me that our kind would never get along with humans— I've made three whole friends! Isn't that great?" Nana's sunny disposition appeared to be a permanent, constant mood, "If I killed a whole bunch of people, I wouldn't be able to be their friend."

The Doctor shook his head, and flashed a toothy grin. "No, you wouldn't, if you did. That's great that you have friends." He said, patting Nana on the head. "I think that that is very wonderful. That makes me happy that there are Diclonii out there that don't exist merely for murderous intent."

He then got up, and sat on his knees next to Lucy at the table. The Time Lord grinned at Lucy. "I rather like Nana, Lucy." He said. "She's a very sweet girl, don't you agree?"

Lucy stares at Nana, raising both brows before speaking plainly, "Yes… We are on much better terms than how we once were."

The little Silpelit nodded a few times, reaching and poking at the upper part of her arm— upon closer inspection, there was a fine line circling the arm perfectly; Without hesitation, Nana tugged on her arm, and with a soft 'click' sound, the prosthetic was pulled off.

"Lucy-sama really didn't like me… We got into a bad fight, but, I forgave her," Nana admitted.

The Doctor's eyes widened. Nana was wearing prosthetics? How did she ever get those? An accident? Was she born with it? Or...

Wait... an accident... Did Lucy and Nana...?

"...Oh, no." The Doctor said worryingly. "Your arms?"

Nana nodded.

"...And your legs...?"

"Mmhm" Nana said. "She didn't like me at first. That's why I don't have arms or legs."

With a saddened look, he gazed down, and then glanced at the elder Diclonius. "...Why, Lucy?"

Lucy's back stiffened, immediately finding herself uncomfortable with the situation— blast, she knew that this situation would eventually be brought up into conversation! Yes— she could recall that gruesome fight clear as day.

* * *

"_Your suffering. Does it hurt yet?_"

"**How about now?**"

"_Don't worry, I'll put you out of your _**misery**_…_"

* * *

Just as the elder Diclonius was prepared to stand and leave the room, Nana frantically waves her hands, "N-No! No no no, don't be mad at her, it isn't all her fault, it's mine too!"

Leaning back with a sad pout, the Silpelit gave Lucy a look, just to make sure that she would not leave— not again.

"You see, I was sent to bring her back home, and she didn't want to, so the both of us started fighting— Lucy-sama was prepared to kill me back there," her voice remained soft, "… But I learned to forgive her! Had I completed the mission that Papa gave me, I woulda been put back into that cage and forgotten! Instead, I get to walk around the human world and eat crepes!"

Lucy's eyes never left Nana, unsure how to feel about that comment; Nana was not upset at her anymore? —-It was surprising, seeing that she had torn the child's limbs off, prepared to leave her to die.

The Doctor listened as Nana told what had happened. "You're very strong emotionally, Nana." He said. "Most people I had come across would still hold vengeance in their heart for that." He then put a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "I think you also misunderstand, Nana. I'm not mad at Lucy." He looked at her in the eyes. "I never was. It was... she never really told me about this. And..." His voice almost cracked, before looking to Nana and clearing his throat. "Hearing about a child going through that can have quite an effect on you."

Images of the three dead children from his first meeting with Lucy flashed in his mind.

Dabbing the duct of his eyes with his thumb, he cleared his throat again. "That shows great strength and fortitude, Nana." He said, smiling. "I'm happy that you've forgiven Lucy, even for something like that."

Nana had mentioned that her 'Papa' would lock her in a cage if she didn't bring Lucy back. Bring her back where? And who was this 'Papa'? Those would be questions for another time, he supposed.

He brought an arm around the Diclonius and brought her closer. "But I think you'll be proud to hear that Lucy has truly been changing for the better. And I can say that in true confidence."

Lucy chose not to bring her voice into this— she felt that if she were to make any sort of comment, it would be malicious or something not meant to be mentioned. Instead, she sat quietly, listening to the conversation between the Timelord and Silpelit.

_'Don't you know? The more that little insect speaks, the more likely you will be looked upon with ill eyes. Nana is a good girl… isn't she? Yes. Nana behaves well. Everybody loves her. And nobody loves you, and never will. Don't you think it would be wise to kill her before she spoils your image?_

_ Even though, _

_ you already have done that on your own.'_

Becoming lost once more in her thoughts, eyes glazed over, not paying attention to either of them at this point, though Nana continued to talk on and on.

"Really…? Lucy-sama has changed?" The child spoke as if she did not believe a thing that the Timelord had mentioned— skeptical, of course, towards the Queen deciding not to cause any more harm. That was impossible, wasn't it?

"Are you sure—-"

Her sentence was cut off at the sound of the inn's gate opening, chattering audible.

"At least you didn't drop anything this time," a female voice sighs, softly scolding her company.

"Come on Yuka, I'm not THAT clumsy."

Mayu steps into the room, speaking up, "Kouta and Yuka are home, is the table set with everything?"

_K-Kouta…?!_

Immediately, the elder Diclonius stands to her feet, automatically panicking before anything even happened. Only seconds later, Kouta would file into the room, "Hello everybody— …?!" The man stopped, dropping the bag of groceries onto the floor, dumbfounded and surprised.

'_She's back…_'

"_Nyu!_" Kouta rushes forward, taking no precautions towards the fact that the horned one could kill him at any moment. Hands grab her shoulders, speaking up again, "Y-You're back? What are you doing here?! I thought you had left for good!" His voice was not of scolding nature, but a mix of absolute taken aback nature, not even bothering to realize that there was a second guest in the house.

_ Even though,_

_ you already have done that on your own.'_

"_A-AAUGGHH!_" The Diclonius screams, hands swinging up and grabbing both sides of her head, keeling forward against the shocked Kouta, knees growing week.

'_No. Not here. Not NOW! I can't grow dumb NOW…!_'

The Doctor was just about to greet the boy before Lucy started shouting in pain. His eyes bulged out in alert.

"Lucy! Lucy, are you okay!?"

Something was wrong! Was it the Instinct!?

"Oh no!" The Doctor said. "Oh no, not now! Lucy!" The Time Lord shot up from the table. "Lucy!"

Lucy could only scream in pain, as her head began to throb mercilessly.

"_AhhhhhAHHHHGGGH!_"


End file.
